Leave Me At the Roadside
by Halogirl3000
Summary: Rayna travels with her faithful pokemon partners, hoping to avoid the attention of Team Rocket. Such a feat becomes difficult when Lance of the Pokemon G-Men enters her life, together they must unlock the mysteries held by the Pokemon of Legend. LancexOc
1. Prologue

**Summary: **"Be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become." (W.E.B. Du Bois) Adventure is what every pokemon trainer searches for. That is no exception for a young pokemon trainer named Rayna Grayson. With only the intention to forget her past, she travels the world with her faithful pokemon partners, hoping to avoid the attention of the criminal organization, Team Rocket. Such a feat becomes difficult when Lance of the Pokemon G-Men comes into her life. Forced together through circumstances, they must foil Giovanni at every turn, and unlock the mysteries held by the Pokemon of Legend. But as they grow closer it becomes clear that their fates rest together, as does their strength. ~A Pokemon Story (LancexOc)

"Leave Me At the Roadside" A Lance Story

By: Halogirl3000

~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~

The sun beat down from its high haven in the sky. However it was cool beneath the protective branches that the tree's of the forest made. They grew grand and wide within these backwoods of Goldenrod City. Their reach extending for miles in every direction. Many had become hopelessly lost within the confines of the labyrinth they laid. Their limbs outstretched across the horizon, shading the undergrowth from the overbearing temperature of the season.

Summer had made its way to Johto, and beyond the barriers of the overgrown fauna, one would feel their skin tingle in the pleasant feeling of warmth the sun provided. That is, until it started to burn.

One such person was escaping that fate, keeping within the legendary forest's reach. However, it was not with the intention of avoiding the sun's heated embrace.

"What are you doing?" A figure asked itself slowly, as it observed the strange creatures playing multiple meters away. It hid itself behind a mass of leaves and bush that grew plentiful around these parts. You either kept to the paths, or you waded your way through plant after plant in this forest.

But the path was not what the figure required. While it would get you out of the forest with ease, you also missed the multitude of pokemon that resided in these parts. One such group, caught the figure's interest immediately.

It was rare for wild pokemon to be found outside their regions. The figure had personally never come across such a phenomenon in their many journey's. Pokemon were very territorial, and such an invasion of claimed land would undeniably lead to a conflict. It was no less than a miracle that this group had avoided that for their time here.

The figure let out a sigh of weariness. It had been studying the group for about a week now. Watching with curiosity at how the pokemon within the herd adapted to their new environment. It was interesting to say the least. But now caution set in. There were a number of concerns for this group, and the pokemon factions that had existed within the forest already.

"Well, that is why I called in the professor. He'll know what to do about this." The figure said as it lifted itself from the crouched position of its observations.

The figure was undeniably female. Long strands of light green hair fell over her shoulders, ending at the small of her back. Golden eyes watched the group with an acute focus, so intent that its gaze would intimidate many. Thin eyebrows were hidden beneath her green bangs, that fluffed and ended straightly before it hindered her stare. Her skin was light, almost cream in its delicate coloring. Her tan coat was lined in black and held an almost Chinese designed style as it clasped over her chest. It ended high, leaving her slim stomach covered by her dark purple shirt she wore beneath it. A white belt hung from her widened hips, and a dark grey skirt fell at her mid thigh. Her calves were covered by tall black boots that buckled around the sides.

With another sigh of almost helplessness, she reached down and grabbed her side satchel that held her many possessions. Swinging it upon her shoulder, she took one last look at the out of placed group of Gible's within the clearing.

She had no idea how they came to be there. The home region of the pokemon was in a completely different part of the world, and she was concerned about their safety in this foreign domain. She desperately hoped the professor could do something about this.

Speaking of . . .

"Oh no! I'm going to be late to meet him in Goldenrod!" The figure exclaimed in panic as she checked the time on her pokenav.

Now in a rush she looked back into the clearing of wild pokemon. Biting her lip in indecision, she focused upon what needed to be done. She couldn't leave the pokemon alone. There was too great a chance of loosing them within the dense forest. Not to mention the potential for another wild group of pokemon finding them and becoming hostile.

With a determined frown upon her lips, she reached upon her belt, and pulled off one of the six small balls attached. Clicking the latch of her poke ball, she threw the red and white signature capture devise into the air. Watching intently as the red light streamed from the open ball, she caught it as it returned to her hand. Within moments she saw a familiar form take life.

"Cro-Crobat!" It almost screeched when it was finally released. The woman giggled as she watched the pokemon enjoy itself for a moment, flying up and down to stretch its wings. She idly wondered what it was like within a pokeball, then cringed upon envisioning the cramped idea that come to mind.

"Alright Byakuya," She called its given name with fondness as she drew his attention. "I know you're happy to be out, but I need you to do something for me."

The Crobat nodded, swiftly flying in an up and down motion, signifying its willingness to help in any given situation. Its purple body was held up by its four powerful wings, the top two being more massive in size than the two twin limbs that fluttered a fast pace below its middle. Its large, yellow eyes gazed intently upon its trainer, waiting for a word of direction. Two long, pointed ears sat atop its rounded body, flicking every so often as it caught a far off noise that only it could detect with its supersonic hearing.

"See that group of Gible's over there," The woman said as she pointed out towards the clearing she had been watching. The pokemon again nodded in its unique way, and the woman continued. "I need you to watch and keep an eye on them. I need to head into Goldenrod and get the professor, but I can't leave them here on their own to get attacked or get lost. So can you do that for me, please?"

"Crobat!" It replied determinedly. The woman smiled back at her pokemon, and lifted a hand to pat it between its large ears. Even with a permanent frown upon its face, she could read its emotions with ease. Having trained it since it was a small Zubat, the duo had been through much together.

"Thank you, Byakuya." The woman said, as she grinned at her pokemon, whose eyes crinkled in its own way of smiling back at her. "I'll be back in the forest within the next three hours. Keep your ears open and find me when you hear me close. Then we'll show the professor what we've found."

"And be careful." Was the woman's last warning, before she turned and waved back at her pokemon. He was fully capable of taking care of himself, but she couldn't force down the worry that rose whenever she left one of her team alone. It was always a tough choice to make. But she needed to go meet the professor, and she couldn't do that without leaving someone to look after the Gible's that had found themselves here. It was the only option she had.

'_I'll be quick, I promise.'_ The woman thought to herself as she made her way to the forest's path. The quicker she got to Goldenrod and found the professor, the quicker she could return to her pokemon.

~Pokemon Center, Goldenrod City~

"Where is that girl?" Professor Oak said with another glance at his watch. His eyes were narrowed into a deep glare as he watched the seconds hand move at its steady pace. Each twitch was one more moment he was kept waiting by the one who had called him here.

With a sigh, the aging blonde let his shoulders drop from their tension. His intelligent, black eyes scanned the lobby for any sign of the one he was waiting on. Though his face showed his years, with crow's feet beginning to form at the corner of his eyes, and wrinkles around his mouth, there was no denying the fire that was held beneath all that. He was young at heart, and that kept all the rest of him as able bodied as a teenager. His trademark lab coat hung from his shoulders, and framed his red shirt and light tan pants.

A chuckle from behind him caught his attention.

"How long have we been waiting now?" The professor's companion asked with good humor. He sat on a bench inside the pokemon center, and had been watching the young trainers with a small grin throughout the wait he had been forced to endure. Deep red hair shot from his scalp, and remained spiked by nature. A set of cool blue eyes watched his surroundings with calm indifference, betraying nothing about what was spinning across his mind. There was a ease at which he sat, one completely free of constraints such as image or presentation. He was who he was, and he knew that.

His clothing was strange for the time as well. He wore a dark set of black and red. His long sleeves shirt bearing black along the sleeves, and red stripes along the front of his chest and torso. His pants continued the design, black along the sides of his legs, and red along the front of his thighs to his knees. The strangest piece of his attire however, was the long cape that was folded on the seat next to him. One could safely assume he would clasp it across his shoulders when he stood from the bench.

"Well I'm glad your having fun with this Lance." The Professor almost chided the young man for finding the situation amusing. He would never understand how the Dragon Master took all this so calmly. Usually the professor would easily wave away a few minutes of tardiness. But an hour was pushing even his patience. "Honestly, I don't even know why I'm surprised right now. It's not like she ever acknowledges anyone else's business before her own anyways."

With a huff the professor sagged into the spot beside the red-headed trainer, who could only barely keep his laughter from escaping at the sight of the dejected scientist. He was a spirited man, and seeing him this depressed was rare, as well as entertaining.

"You haven't told me much about the one we're here to meet, Professor. What brings us all the way from Kanto?" Lance couldn't help but wonder. It had been four days of travel for the both of them to reach Goldenrod, and that was with all the connections that a Pokemon champion and a world class scientist had. He almost shuddered at the memory of the length of time his journeys took before his beloved Dragonite. Flying beat walking any day.

"I already told you all I know, Lance." The professor stated as he straightened his back and looked Lance in the eye. He was in full on lecture mode now. "A previous trainer of mine called about a week ago. She said that she had found a group of Gible's in the Johto region, without trainers, or caretakers. I don't need to tell you how strange that is."

Lance nodded, knowing how unusual it was that such a group of pokemon could migrate so far from their homeland. "It is curious that a group of them is in Johto. I can't even imagine how they all got here. They're rare pokemon, even in the Sinnoh region where they're originally found."

Professor Oak nodded in agreement. "Yes, even the idea of a trainer abandoning them in unlikely. From what she told me, it seems like there are quite a few of them here. But the trainer was concerned about their safety in the forest. There's no telling what the other pokemon will do in response to the Gible's living there."

"And your coming here has nothing to do with the fact that you rarely get to study different regions pokemon in a natural habitat, right?" Lance quirked an eyebrow in the blushing professors direction.

The professor, for his credit, only stuttered for a moment before responding to Lance's gibe. "Well you got me there," The professor chuckled as he rubbed the back of his neck in slight embarrassment. "I very easily could have sent one of my assistants to check on the situation, but I've never seen a Gible in person myself, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity! Plus, I deserve a little camping vacations I'd say." Professor Oaks, nodded to himself as he finished, reassuring himself.

"I'm sorry professor, but that doesn't explain why you called me to help you on this. I have no doubt that you are fully capable of handling the Gible on your own." Lance said, the confusion that he had held a bay since he had been invited on this trip making itself known. Of course, being a Pokemon G-Man, he was trained to notice the small details of everything around him. Which makes it no surprise that he immediately noticed when Professor Oak's mood change drastically.

Professor Oak looked out towards the doors of the Pokemon Center, eyeing the people and pokemon walking through with a critical gaze, one that was focused on a subject a million miles away from them all. "You're right Lance," He admitted as his voice turned low and serious. "I did call you to help with the Gible, you being a specialist in Dragon-Type pokemon was only one reason that I called you to accompany me on this trip. The other reason, is Team Rocket."

The effect of the name was instantaneous. The Dragon Master's feelings about the particular group were no small secret. It was widely known that he opposed their influence in the field of pokemon. Their mistreatment of any unfortunate creature that they placed their sights on was a resentment that Lance sometimes had trouble controlling.

"Team Rocket?" Lance questioned. He had been following their trail for many months, but had not yet heard of any recent actions on their part that caused his immediate attention.

"A few things have been sent to me recently Lance," The professor confided. "Things that while the scientist researching it have noble intentions for, may be right up Team Rocket's alley for twisting into something heinous." The professor was obviously worried. Lance could tell by the way he hunched over, his hands clasped tightly in front of his chin, and the way that his eyes looked haunted.

"Is this really the place to go over such things professor?" Lance asked, concerned about just what the professor's plans were within the near future. "What with this trainer of yours around?"

Though Lance did not know just what he said to change the professor's mood so suddenly, he found himself staring wide eyed at the man who moments before, looked as if the whole world was against him. "Actually, it's the perfect place to discuss such things, with this trainer around Lance." The professor grinned, the familiar fire of determination returning to his eyes and lighting them up with positive emotions that Lance could not help but feel his own burdens lift slightly from his shoulders.

"And just who is this trainer, professor?" Lance could not help but ask.

Just as the professor opened his mouth to speak about the illusive trainer whose information had been dodging Lance's awareness for days, a call came from across the lobby.

"Professor! There you are!" A voice cried out from in front of the doors, immediately drawing every eye in the vicinity to her.

With a cringe, the green haired woman noticed just what her shout had done. Mentally she rebuked herself. _'This is a Pokemon Center idiot! Keep it down! There is no use in yelling things out like that.'_ The woman waved at the attention, giving a nervous smile in the directions of her onlookers. "Sorry about that, continue your business, and don't mind me!" She said, finishing with a hop to her step as she neared the professor as quickly as possible. The faster she joined a group the better, as it would divert everyone's attention to their own matters.

"My bad." She said as she finally reached the professor at the benches. Her smile dropped into a expression of complete misery, which only deepened when she saw the look of mirth on Professor Oak's face.

"Always the dramatic entrance with you, isn't it?" The professor teased her way. He was in much better spirits now that he saw the trainer, and could not keep the humorous tone from his voice at her typically noisy arrival.

"Please Professor," The woman couldn't help the pleading pitch of her voice. "It was punishment enough just walking over here. You don't need to follow it up with a rant about me being late." She said as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other, glancing at the professor from the side of her eyes. She was just waiting for a word of reprimand, either about her previous performance, or her tardiness.

"No worries, it wasn't like I was completely caught unaware by your being so late. What was keeping you however, nothing serious I hope?" The professor questioned as he looked at the young woman before him, seeking out any signs of injuries.

The green haired maiden was quick to wave away his concern. "No, it was nothing like that professor. I just got a bit caught up in the forest, what with making arrangements for your arrival, and making sure that the Gible's were taken care of for the time being." She shot a bright smile in his direction for good measure.

"Mm-hmm." Was the professor's only response, as he narrowed his eyes critically at the woman. It wouldn't be the first time that she exaggerated her excuse as to avoid his preaching. "And why weren't you watching your watch better?"

With a nervous laugh the woman changed her tactics as to avoid his wrath. "Who's this you have with you professor, I don't think I've ever met him?" She said as she turned her attention to the man standing beside the professor. She had noticed him upon her immediate arrival at the Center, he seemed like a difficult man to miss. Even without his startling bright hair, his stance of pure confidence was something to draw attention too.

His good looks didn't hurt either.

"Oh," The professor fell right into her hands as he turned to his companion. "This is Lance, he'll be accompanying us while we do our research. He's a specialist in the area of dragon pokemon, so I thought he could help out. I'm sorry Lance, I almost completely forgot about you."

Lance let out a good natured laugh. "It's alright professor, I understand there's a lot on your mind at the moment. But I feel it's only right that you tell me your name now that you know mine. You know, just to be fair." He said as he grinned over at the strange woman who blatantly used him as her out. He had been watching her through her conversation with the professor, and was surprised at how easy it was for them to argue, even if only slightly. They seemed close.

"I'm Rayna." She said as she returned his grin with a matching one of her own. Her shoulders seemed to straighten as she realized she had escaped the professor from turning the conversation back on her. She held out her hand in greeting, and Lance took it without hesitation. "It's a pleasure to meet you Lance."

"The same to you. The professor has gone on and on about this mysterious trainer of his, it's nice to put a face to the person now." Lance replied back as he drew his hand back from the handshake.

"Well, now that we're all acquainted, let's get down to business. Rayna, about the pokemon you called me here for?" The professor stated seriously. It was about time that they brought their minds to the matter at hand. His declaration had immediate effects as both Rayna and Lance looked towards him, ready to talk pokemon.

"Yes, the Gible's are in a clearing within the Ilex Forest. It should only be a few hours walk from here." Rayna answered back.

The professor nodded, a grim look of contemplation on his face. "We better hurry out there. I don't like the idea of them being on their own out there." He said as he looked for confirmation from the two others.

Lance nodded gravely. "The quicker we find them the better. Gible's are particularly prone to wandering around. They don't like to stay still, and if they get mixed up with another group of pokemon who knows what will happen."

"Well then, follow me boys!" Rayna said as she stepped backwards, leading them towards the doors of the Pokemon Center. "Let's hit the road. I'll show you into the forest."

~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~

The walk through the forest was proving to be somewhat of a problem.

Not that that was a surprise to anyone. It was a thick forest, and even inhabitants of the surround area's rarely entered the denser parts for fear of loosing their way. The bushes of the forest were particularly notorious for their difficulty to travel around. Luckily, all three of the immediate group were excellent hikers, and all had experience with such adversities as terrain.

"So tell me again Rayna what you found. Just so we're all on the same page." The professor's voice traveled through the air as he stepped over a large root that spiked out of the ground near him. They had all ended up in singe file, following Rayna as she lead them further into the heart of the forest. Lance was having a pretty easy time behind the professor, his fit body handling the landscape with fluent movements. And in front of him, Rayna was traversing the thicket with bold strides.

Rayna laughed back at him. "I really don't know that much about the situation professor. All I know is that when I was walking around the forest a Gible appeared on the path. At first I just though it lost its trainer, but it started heading into the forest, so I decided to follow it. Eventually it lead me to a clearing where it rejoined its group, and it just really confused me as to why there were so many of them. Anyways, I watched them for a few days before I called you when it didn't look like they were leaving the forest at all." She replied as she looked back at the professor. She saw the uncertainty in his eyes as he looked back at the ground, obviously troubled. Her own face morphed into one of worry, hoping that eventually the professor could come up with a solution.

"And they didn't notice you whenever you were around?" Lance asked, also worried about the professor. He shared a concerned look with Rayna, whose golden eyes were glancing towards him to answer his question.

"What, you don't think I can make myself scarce when I want to be?" She retorted back with a smirk, pausing momentarily in her walk. It was immature of her, but the intense atmosphere was getting on her nerves, and she desperately needed a way to break it.

"You seemed pretty loud back in the Pokemon Center." Lance replied back, letting a small smug grin cross his face when her cheeks reddened slightly.

"That was a fluke. But in all honesty they probably did. I just never got close enough for them to be cautious about my being there. And after a few days of just watching them I think they got used to me being around." Rayna said back, unable to keep a smile from her face at his retort. It seemed the guy had a sense of humor, and she was grateful that he was willing to take the bait and help with the dejected mood that hovered over them.

"Rayna," The professor questioned from the side. Both Rayna and Lance turned their attentions back to him at the call. "You said earlier that you made sure the Gible's were taken care of for the time being. What did you mean?"

Rayna quickly looked around her, for any sign of Byakuya or the Gible's that they had been looking for. "I didn't want to take the risk of the Gible's completely disappearing on me in the forest while I left to get you, so I left Byakuya out here to watch over them. The plan was for him to come find us as we walked by."

"And you're sure we're going in the right direction. We've been walking for an awfully long time." The professor said as he too looked about for the elusive pokemon. Unfortunately, he caught the slight wince that Rayna gave off. "You _do_ know where we're going right?"

"Well," Rayna was forced to admit as she took a step back from the aggravated scientist. "We passed the clearing I left them in about fifteen minutes ago. I was really hoping that Byakuya would've popped out by now, but it obviously hasn't happened yet."

"Rayna!" Professor Oak's yelled out in disbelief, his eyes widening at the cringing woman "Why didn't you say anything before?"

"Because I really thought Byakuya would've showed up by now!" The girl defended. "And what good would've come from me telling you that the Gible's had left? We'll find them eventually." Rayna said as she finished with a brilliant smile directed at the steaming professor.

"Arrhh!" The professor responded, quickly turning away and stomping in another direction. "Fine! Let's just keep going, but I'm leading this time!" He said as he started in another direction. Behind him, Rayna bit her lip to keep the grin from overpowering her face at his fury. A glance at Lance told her he too was amused at Oak's anger. He just didn't feel the need to hide it.

The professor continued to grumble as he made his way through the first layer of tree's and bushes surrounding them. He grabbed at one of the branches that hung in front of his face, pushing it down so he could see where he was going. Suddenly, however, he let out a short yelp as he backed over his own feet and fell to the dirt.

Both Rayna and Lance looked over towards him in alarm at his unexpected actions. Quickly preparing themselves to respond accordingly to whatever happened they rushed to the side of the fallen man, and looked upon that which had frightened him so.

With a grin Rayna stepped around the now forgotten professor. "Byakuya," She greeted her missing partner with a relieved smile. It chattered happily back at her, and flew the short way to cuddle into her face. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you!"

"I take it that's your pokemon?" Lance said from beside the professor, watching with a small smile at the obviously joyful pair. He knelt down to the professors flank. He grasped the professors arm and helped him to his unsteady feet.

"Yup!" Rayna answered back, grinning all the while as she watched her large watermelon sized pokemon flap its wings. "This is Byakuya, which means we're not far from the Gible's at this rate. Told you everything would be fine professor!"

"Of course." The professor replied as he regained his composure. "It's good to see you again Byakuya, you look like you've gotten stronger." The purple bat flew the short distance to the professor, and twirled around his head in a cheerful manner. "Oh I'm fine, just happy to see we now know where we're going." He grinned towards the pokemon.

The Crobat immediately changed its disposition, recognizing that it still had a job to complete. Turning back towards the wall of tree's, it jerked its entire body in an obvious gesture.

"He wants us to follow him." Rayna said as she stepped towards her pokemon, motioning for the two men of the group to trail after. "He'll lead us to the Gible's."

"You're using Crobat's super sonic hearing to keep track of what's going on in the forest." Lance commented as he stepped behind her into the shadow's of the tree's.

"It seemed like the best option. Byakuya could notice the vibrations and sound waves we gave off when we were close, then he could use the same thing to lead us back to the Gible's when he found us." Rayna replied as she ducked beneath a low branch, she glanced back at the professor, and giggled lightly when she noticed he was getting more excited about the group of pokemon with each step.

"Clever." Lance complimented with a grin.

"I'm not all noise Lance." Rayna said back, an equally large grin on her face, and a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

Within minutes the trio arrived a large clearing that was lined with thick tree trunks. Within, they could make out multiple happy calls of the Gible's they were here to observe. Upon stepping beside the massive tree's, they noticed the small, blue bodies running around and playing together without a care. It brought a smile to all of their faces.

"Thanks Byakuya." Rayna said as she smiled gratefully to her flying pokemon as she rubbed it between its large ears. It gave its signature smile back, happy to be of use. "You deserve a nice long break now though. So I'll let you get back to your pokeball and rest up." She lifted the mentioned contraption, and tapped the round button on the front. With a click it opened up, and the bat creature was wrapped in a luminous red that twisted itself into the round object. With a snap Rayna closed it, ensuring her teammate a nice nap within. As she returned it to its place on her belt she looked back at the professor and Lance.

"So, what do we do now professor?" Rayna asked as she watched the professor loose the grin he had had while he gazed at the lively pokemon within the field.

"Now, we get to work." Professor Oak replied in a serious tone. "Lance, let's start analyzing their behavior. Compare it to other Dragon-types that you know of. Rayna, I need you to start taking pictures, there should be a camera in my bag. Let's hurry people, we have a lot to do now!"

With a roll of the eyes Rayna did as she was told. It was all business now. There wouldn't be a moments rest until the professor passed out from shear exhaustion. She sent one last smile towards Lance, then turned and started to go through Oak's forgotten pack.

It would be a long day.

* * *

**Ramblings of an Author:** Hey there everyone! First off, I wanna thank you for reading this fanfiction, I really appreciate any support that is shown. As I'm sure you know, Lance's fanbase is not nearly as represented as it should be, so even the smallest bit of encouragment(whether it be comments, or just reading the story) is really helpful! That's actually why I wanted to finally write this out, because it's so hard to come across a decent Lance story. I really can't tell you how excited I am to write this out, pokemon was one of the highlights of my childhood, so it only seems natural that I right out a story for it now!

A quick note however, I've raised the rating of this story to T, just because when you realistically think about fighting animals with almost supernatural powers, it's hard to keep it child friendly. Plus, I really adore Lance, and I can't say that things won't get a little steamy between him and my o.c. But when I think about this, it really shouldn't be a problem. I mean, anyone who remembers the begining of the series(Or Lance's part in it) must at least be in their teens by now, and should be able to handle whatever I dish out! :)

That being said, I hope that you'll continue reading the story as I publish it! And anyone who comments or favorite's the story will get a cookie, . . . well no, I ate them all, but you'll get my thanks all the same! :)


	2. Trouble with a Capital 'R'

"Leave Me At the Roadside" A Lance Story (Part 2)

By: Halogirl3000

~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~

"Alright, I think we're done for the day." The professor said as he wiped his coat sleeve across his forehead. An infectious grin of a job well done lit his face, and he looked out into the clearing of playing Gible's with his shoulders held high.

"Finally!" Rayna cheered as she collapsed to her knees, taking her armful of papers with her. It was dramatic, but she felt she had the right to be after running and doing the professors dirty work for so many hours straight. The group had started working earlier in the day, and it was already an hour to sunset and all were getting close to exhaustion.

Lance chuckled slightly to himself from his spot kneeling by the small field lab the professor had set up. He too felt the strain of the days activities pull across his back uncomfortably. It had been quite the day for them all, what with the professor's enthusiasm and Rayna's reluctance to follow his orders. _'They are a strange duo, when together.' _Lance had no choice but to admit with an amused grin. The two bickered endlessly, and he was completely surprised at how childish the professor could actually be. If it wasn't for the permanent smiles they wore through their banter, Lance would have been worried.

"Well what did you expect Rayna? This is how field studies are conducted. Everything must be recorded and analyzed." The professor responded as he took one last look at the Gible's who were retreating into the forest, most likely heading towards their nest for the night.

"Well, I'd hate for someone to think you un-thorough. '1:37:24 PM, Gible's chase each other in circles. 1:37:46 PM, Gible's trip. 1:38:05 PM, Gible's-" Rayna recited from her position on the ground, reading from one of the many papers she carried.

"Rayna that's enough!" The professor cried, waving his hands back and forth wildly. A blush covered his face as he walked towards the young woman, a frantic look to his eyes. He grabbed the paper from her hands and hid it from view. "Just give me the papers. You can start setting up camp if you are going to be nothing but difficult."

With more spirit than she had shown all day, Rayna hopped to her feet, a mischievous smile pulling at her lips. "Sounds good, Prof!" She said as she practically danced away to an unheard tune. She swiped Professor Oak's traveling pack from the ground, and walked away from the two men.

With an incredulous huff the professor moved to order the papers within his arms, shuffling them to a neat stack. Turning to the Dragon Master he made his way towards the desk set up near him.

Professor Oak pointedly ignored the smirk of mirth on the trainers face and set the papers down before him. "We made good work today. All the basics are covered, and we're all set up to continue tomorrow. Hopefully we can start to piece together how they got here and what we can do to keep them from causing conflict with the surrounding pokemon."

Lance nodded in agreement. "Overall, they seemed to act like any Gible I've ever seen. It doesn't seem as if they have a problem living in this environment. Hopefully, that might make the idea of them staying here without interfering with the surrounding pokemon viable. I can't think of how we'd begin to go about moving them."

"We'll come to that later," The professor said as he packed some of the equipment away for the night. "But I agree, it would be easiest to leave them here if the native pokemon can adapt to it."

Lance helped the professor put away his files for a short while. Since it was only the first day, there wasn't much that had been used in the observations, so it took few minutes to pack it to be used tomorrow. They took their time however, placing everything in an easily reached area where it could be accessed tomorrow. By the time they finished, and headed off in the direction of Rayna, it was already sunset.

For her part, Rayna had completed one tent, and set up a fire pit to be used as soon as all sunlight had vanished by the time both the professor and Lance came to the edge of the clearing. Humming lightly to herself she dusted her hands, looking up at their approaching figures.

"Ta-da!" Rayna shouted out in glee as she jumped to her feet, throwing her arms to the side to show off her handi-work. "One tent, and a fire pit, at your service! My best work so far, if I do say so myself!"

Professor Oak let out a hearty laugh as he walked over to the tent and poked it. "Good work Rayna. Two more tents, and then we can start on reviewing our papers of the day."

Rayna groaned slightly at the thought of going through any more files or documents that day. Even in the best of circumstances, she dreaded the tedious task with vigor, and the professors version of it was down right grueling. "Don't bother with a tent for me professor, I'll be just fine in a sleeping bag. And I'm hoping this grand plan of yours involves supper in it. One of your assistants says your grandson has been on your case for skipping your meals to work."

The professor glanced her way as he grabbed the second tent bag. "Don't tell me Gary intimidates you?" He asked with no small bit of shock. The two had met on a few occasions, but the professor had never noticed any reluctance between them. They got along well he had thought.

"Professor, he lectures you with ease. I'd prefer to keep his attention off of me, and my many shortcomings. I get enough of the long talks with you anyways." Rayna commented offhandedly as she waved away his comment with a flick of her hand.

"I'd almost like to see him try." Laughed the professor at the prospect. He could envision it in his mind's eye. Gary with his short fuse would become infuriated with Rayna and her aloofness. It grinded against the professor's own temper, and he considered his well controlled.

A grin pulled at the corner of Rayna's lips, one that spoke of trouble ensuing, and great satisfaction on her part. "You and me both. But alas, if you can manage without me, I'm pretty sure my map show's a little lake a short distance away. One I would particularly like to go check out." She took a few tentative steps backwards, towards the shadowing tree's. There was no denying the hopeful glimmer within her eyes as she glanced between her two companions. It looked almost childish.

"I think we should be able to manage. You've already set up a tent and the pit, there's not a whole lot more to do. And nothing that would require three people at least." The professor approved with a nod in her direction. That seemed to be all the consent she needed, as she turned and dashed into the forest with a shout of gratitude drifting behind her.

That seemed to be the last nail in the coffin as Lance burst into laughter within the clearing. Even without knowing the woman for very long, he could tell her personality was almost overwhelming. "Well, she took off fast." He commented as he started throwing wood into the pit. Whatever light remained after dusk was quickly dwindling, and soon they would need to light a fire to illuminate the clearing.

"Yes," Professor Oaks chuckled as well, sitting down on one of the logs that encircled the area. "I'm surprised she actually bothered to get permission to go. Usually she just leaves whenever she feels like it."

"Professor?" Lance called the man's attention with a soft tone. "Perhaps now would be a good time to talk about Team Rocket. I know it's still been on your mind since you mentioned it earlier today."

Professor Oak's eyes narrowed at the thought of the organization. He had indeed found himself thinking of them from time to time in the day, and it had seemed that Lance had noticed whenever he had become lost in thought at his growing concern. "It's hard not to think about it, Lance. I'm sure you can relate. You are more familiar with their ways and actions than most."

The comment caused the Dragon Master to carry his own look of grim acknowledgement. The professor was one of the few privileged enough to know of his excursions into the underbelly of Team Rockets operations. Unsurprisingly, he was never impressed by what he found. "Which is why I know that if you are concerned about something involving them, you should tell me. I can help with whatever it is they are after."

"I know you only want to help Lance," Professor Oak said with a grin of appreciation directed at the younger man. "But we have all week to speak of what I know, and what Team Rocket could want with it. Plus, I think that Rayna should be here when we discuss it. She may not give off the impression, but I'm certain that she will be of great assistance in this."

Lance nodded his head with an undetectable sigh. He respected the professor to much to dispute him in this, but that did little to calm his nerves.

Silence reigned in between the two men as they split to accomplish different tasks. The professor was reviewing one of his many files of the day, while Lance set about collecting enough firewood to last them through the night. With a frown he scanned the clearing, hoping for fallen branches or anything that would burn for longer then a minute. His hand ran through his red hair in agitation as he could find nothing in the dying light.

"I'm going to go get some firewood, okay professor?" Lance glanced at his distracted comrade, who gave one small nod in his direction before mumbling about something undistinguishable.

With a grin Lance shook his head in amusement, before walking off into the trees to look for some firewood.

~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~

Rayna breathed deeply as she felt a small gust of wind breeze across her figure. She couldn't keep the light smile from her face as she took in the tranquility of the lake in front of her.

She had found herself by the waters edge not long after leaving their campsite. It was a few minutes walk but it seemed like she had entered another world altogether. Stars already began to twinkle in the night sky above her, and the lake itself looked like a dark mirror of glass. The lake had a small portion of sand at its shore, before large rocks encircled the water with their imposing mass. The only disturbance was the trickling waterfall on the opposite side of lake, whose sound was the only thing that drifted through the air.

Rayna could hardly describe the feeling of calm that washed over her as she sat upon one of the larger rocks, looking out into the sky that revealed itself above her. She knew no constellations, and even if she did, she doubted she could find anything of semblance between all the stars that gleamed that night. And she rather liked the idea of it being a mass of chaos. Its mysteries eluded her, and she was soothed with the knowledge that she felt no need to seek the answers.

A splash disturbed her inner thoughts and caused her head to swerve in its direction. Her hand flew to her mouth, unable to repress the giggle that escaped her as she watched her Dewgong play within the water, disturbing the peace with an ease that didn't surprise the young trainer. One way or another all her pokemon took after their master, all were trouble makers in their own way. The thought brought an impish shine Rayna's eyes.

Another noise, one Rayna could not immediately place a source to, had her turning her body towards the sandy shore to her right. She was greeted with the figure of the Dragon Master she had just become acquainted with.

His insanely bright hair stood out with extreme clarity, even through the darkness of the night. Rayna was struck by how intense he was at that moment. He seemed to stand before her just as his legacy spoke of. His fit body was outlined with what little light the moon was giving off, making each limb move with a defining quality that almost looked otherworldly. His blue eyes were vivid in the dimness that surrounded them, and Rayna felt herself pause for a moment looking at them.

Lance had stumbled on the pool purely by accident. While searching the ground for anything flammable, he had unknowing traced Rayna's steps, and soon found himself gazing upon the scene before him.

Lance would consider himself well traveled. He had been to each of the main cities in both the Johto and Kanto region. Many were a far cry from the small little village of Blackthorn that he grew up in. He had walked the roads between those cities, seen the forests, and the beaches, the fields and suburbs, and everything else in-between. But even he had to admit, there was something new in the way all the elements came together in this place. It awed him.

He glanced over to Rayna perched on the rock. Her golden eyes flickered with curiosity at his sudden appearance, and he took a moment to scrutinize her. Her entire being had surprised him, Since meeting her earlier in the day, he realized that he couldn't read her as easily as he usually could anyone else. Her actions were completely random and at ease. The way the professor had talked of her, in such high opinion, it had let him to believe she had been more, . . . mature than she had turned out to be. He particularly couldn't figure out just why the professor wanted her involved in the Team Rocket issue. One would think you'd keep those you cared for as far away from them as possible.

With a shake of the head, Lance let his thoughts leave him. The professor trusted her, and so would he.

"Hey." Lance called to her, a smile spreading across his face.

"Hey," Rayna called back, confusion written upon her face. "What are you doing out here?" Rayna lifted herself to her feet, and stepped towards the edge of the boulder.

"Looking for firewood. There wasn't enough in the clearing for a decent fire, so I was just searching the woods for something that would burn." Lance said as he took a few steps closer to the water. Rayna nodded upon her rock, and glanced at the pile of branches that rested by his feet, abandoned in his discoveries.

"I'm sorry, I think I used most of them making the pit." Rayna apologized as she jumped from the boulder she had been on for an hour. She landed in the shallows, her bare feet sloshing through the water and sand with each footfall. Lance gave her a grin in response, watching her make her way through the sinking path.

"Dewgong!"

Rayna and Lance both jumped slightly at the unexpected call. With a chuckle Rayna glanced at her pokemon who was in the middle of a back flip further out in the lake. She could only shake her head at its antics, knowing how much her pokemon adored attention.

"Is that yours?" Lance questioned, seeing the fond gleam in Rayna's eyes.

"Yes," Rayna confirmed, her eyes trained on the white body swimming just below the surface of the lake. "She's the reason I wanted to come to the lake. I'm usually in a city somewhere, and it's hard to find a pool large enough for her to really enjoy herself in. So whenever I get the chance to I give her a few hours out of her pokeball when I'm out by any bodies of water."

From his spot beside her Lance let a soft smile cross his lips at her obvious devotion to her pokemon. Rayna noticed his small catch in breath that accompanied his observations, and frowned when she could not discern the cause.

"What?" Suspicion clung to Rayna's tone, and she couldn't help the immediate defensiveness that she felt. The chuckle he responded with did little to ease her tension.

"Nothing. At least not on the lines of what you're thinking." Lance said as he turned his head back to look at her, his face completely open and the grin apparent. "It's just that you obviously care for your pokemon. A lot of people wouldn't go out of their way just so that their water-types can be in their favorite environment. That's all."

"I see." It was practically a whisper that Rayna spoke. Her eyes scanned his face, trying to gauge where this comment was coming from. Choosing to ignore Lance's random statement, Rayna drifted further into the lake, until she was near knee-deep in the water. Within moments she found herself watching her pokemon come her way, its body raising from the lake as it became to shallow to swallow its form.

"Lance, this is Rukia." Rayna flashed a grin his way, her arm wrapped around the thick, white neck of her pokemon. It easily reached her shoulders, its sleek body sitting on the sand, that's tan color only emphasized how pure the coat was. Its large black eyes looked at the stranger with a tilt of its head, the horn shining in the moonlight, its point glinting dangerously. "Rukia, this is Lance."

Rayna was still grinning as her pokemon continued to watch Lance with fascination. Dewgong was perhaps the most curious of her pokemon, and most people it was not familiar with were opponents in battle. It wasn't often that it met new people in such a setting, so its staring was expected.

"I take it that you don't just train a specific type then?" Lance asked as he stared at Rayna's pokemon. He had seen Dewgong's before, heck he was familiar with Lorelei's back at the Indigo Plateau only too well. He had seen many of her battles with her beloved partner, it was just strange to see a different one with such a drastic change in demeanor. Lorelei's Dewgong was fierce and proud all the time, much like its trainer, he thought with a barely repressed grin. From what he had seen of this one, it was playful and inquisitive.

"No. It just never really came up. I met different pokemon and they became my partners. It seems like you have to go in being devoted to one type to become a specialist. That was just never the case with me." Rayna said as she petted the damp fur on her sea lion-esque pokemon. It started a deep throated purr, one that seemed to vibrate its entire chest cavity. Rayna giggled as she felt the waves travel up her arm, her hands rubbing it beneath the chin and stroking its spine in affection. "Is that how it was for you? I mean, you are the most well known specialist in the region"

"Kind of. My clan is devoted to dragon type pokemon, so the idea was around since I was a kid. But there's something about dragon pokemon that made me want to train them. They are so powerful. Their strength and speed in incredible. What's not to be drawn to? They're strong, loyal, dependable, and courageous." Lance listed, his words impassioned with vigor for the subject.

Rayna could not suppress a chuckle. "Yeah, and stubborn, head strong, temperamental, independent to a fault."

"Sounds like you speak from experience." Lance nodded, his head tilted in interest. His words were met with a surprised expression, Rayna's gold eyes widened as she realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

It took only a moment for Rayna to pull herself together. "You ever battle me Lance, and you'll find out." There was no denying the challenge in her voice, and Lance was certain that one day he would meet it. Rayna's grin of complete mirth was mirrored by one of his own, and he felt the most at ease he had for the entire day.

"Well I should be getting back with the firewood." Lance said as he started walking back to his forgotten pile a small ways away. "The professor is probably stuck in the dark by now."

Rayna's laughter followed behind him. "And yet that probably hasn't stopped him from reading his papers."

"No kidding." Lance let out a snort at the ridiculous notion. He glanced back at the green haired girl, and wondered just how long she would be staying out in the lake.

"I'll be right behind you." Rayna's amused tone came with a grin that Lance was finding went together. "I'm just going to let Rukia spend a little more time out of her pokeball, then I'll make my way to camp. No worries."

Lance gave her one parting smile, then disappeared towards the campsite. Rayna turned back to Rukia, continuing with her pampering as her Dewgong suddenly let out a happy cry, and flipped onto its back to exposed its stomach. Rayna's surprise was short lived as she burst into laughter, then followed her pokemon's wishes and started rubbing its belly.

~Ilex Forest, Johto Region~

Professor Oak let out a sigh as he took another futile glance around him. A frown marred his face as he started to grumble under his breath, directed at his two missing companions.

The dark had completely fallen in the clearing, and all that saved the professor from the surrounding night was a small flashlight, which illuminated his irritation blatantly. What he was truly most upset about, was his inability to go over his findings of the day. It really was disheartening. He had hoped to spend the night strategizing what he would do the next day. However, that seemed to be doomed to failure as he did not have enough light to even see his hand before his face without aiming the flashlight.

"Hey professor," The statement caused the professor to let out a scream of fright, then fall off his log to the ground. "Professor! Are you okay?" The flashlight had been tossed into the air in the professor's fall, and he could see nothing for moments until someone grabbed the flashlight and shined it into his face.

The professor had figured out who this person was, the voice became familiar after the initial scare of the sudden intrusion. "Lance? Where have you been?" The professor asked, still clutching his chest as his heart pounded into his palm.

Lance let out a hesitant laugh. The professor's tone had been borderline cross. "Getting firewood. I passed Rayna at the lake and she showed me her Dewgong. Sorry about taking so long."

"Just start a fire." Was all the professor could ask. With a sigh, he fumbled his way to the log, using the miniscule rays from the flashlight to guide him.

Lance let out a slightly guilty chuckle as he turned to the pit. He arranged a portion of the wood into a tepee, then pulled a lighter from his pocket and started the fire. It was slow starting at first, but within minutes it became a bonfire that illuminated the entire clearing. He set the rest of the branches beside the backpacks between himself and the professor, then sat on his own log.

"So Rayna let Rukia out then?" The professor noted, his tone much more pleasant now that he could see without being hindered by the darkness. Lance nodded, the fire flickering lights across his face at each second. "That's good. It's hard for her to find enough water to release Rukia in for a pleasure swim."

"That's what Rayna said. I was impressed with the notion." Lance responded, grinning across the fire to the professor, who smiled back.

"She surprised you?" At the nod Lance responded with, the professor could not keep the loud laughter from ringing out in the air. "Yes, Rayna's easy to underestimate. She's a talented trainer, though. Her pokemon are excellently trained, and she knows how to use their abilities with a precision that's rare. It's her attitude that masks her skill. It's hard to take someone serious when they are complaining as loudly as she does."

'_There it is again.' _Lance thought as he scanned the professor's face. _'That unwavering confidence in her. Where does it come from?'_ This woman continued to be a mystery he just could not fathom. Lance was forced from his thought as a loud, unfamiliar laughter began on the other side of the clearing. With a frown Lance bolted to stand, the professor quick to follow.

A man stood at the edge of the forest. He was tall, with blonde hair that spiked atop his head, the grew in a side mohawk to his left. A pair of shades covered his eyes, even at the late hour. Grey pants were tucked into thick soled black, combat boots, and held up by a black belt that wrapped around his toned waist. Muscled arms fell from the open sleeves of his blue muscle shirt, and opened grey, vest that bore a large trademark 'R' in bright red.

"Team Rocket." Lance glowered in the man's direction, his hand already reaching for his precious pokeball at his side.

"Lance of the Elite Four. Well, you certainly are a surprise. Why don't you just walk away, my business is not with you." The blonde man spoke, his tone deep and mocking.

"Not a chance." Lance immediately retorted. "What do you want?"

"Nothing of consequence to you. Just hand over Professor Oak, and we can all leave here without a conflict. Doesn't that sound nice?" The man took a step further into the clearing, a grin on his face and his arms open in fake sincerity.

"You're not getting the professor. Now leave before I make you." Lance threatened, taking a step to stand before the professor. His eyes were narrowed in a warning, which seemed to go ignored.

"I can't do that. We got orders from the top. The professor, is to come with us. And we are to use any means necessary to get him." At the remark, three separate vehicles drove into the clearing. All were platted in steel, and looked more like tanks than any jeep Lance had ever seen. Grunts poured in, few of them holding our their poke ball's in anticipation for a battle. The man in charge stood before them all, glaring towards the Dragon Master with intensity.

"Why do you want me?" Professor Oak asked, his tone serious, yet calm in the face of what he had been worried about.

The man turned his attention to the scientist, his face smoothing over to a look of consideration. It took few moments of hesitation before he spoke. "Don't know, and honestly don't care. It doesn't do to question orders. Trouble makers of that sort are a nuisance, and the boss doesn't tolerate it. All I know is that I am to bring you in, so you _are_ coming with me professor."

Lance let out a growl of impatience as he allowed his reflexes to take over. He grasped his pokeball within his hand, and threw it into the space between him and his opponents. "Over my dead body." He called out, right before the intimidating form of his legendary Dragonite took shape.

"Drago-on!" The powerful pokemon roared into the night sky. Its orange body stood braced for battle, with its powerful legs grounded. It glared at those foolish enough to take on its master with dark brown eyes, the antennae's flowing in the air as its wings flapped in preparation.

"If that's how it's going to be, fine! Go Skarmary!" The leader said as he through out his own pokeball. The called pokemon shifted into existence, its metallic body lined in the light from the moon. Following their leader, the grunts sent out cry's with their own pokemon. By the end, Lance found himself facing the Skarmary, two Fearows, a Nidoking, and a Nidoqueen.

The blonde man let out a bark of laughter, looking between the two sides of the field. "Give up champion! You're out numbered!"

Lance let out a sigh of anger as his mind processed all of this. He was indeed outnumbered, but that never stopped him before. "Dragonite, use thuderwave! Scatter them!" Lance called.

The order was acted upon immediately. Dragonite let out a cry as its antennae's started to crackle with energy. Electricity shot from them, hitting the wingless pokemon and causing an explosion that kicked up a cloud of dust that surrounded the area.

The flying pokemon, were undeterred. They flew above the distraction, then dove towards the dragon pokemon with speed. Dragonite dodged one attack after another, the beaks of the opposing pokemon missing its body by inches.

"Dragonite, use dragon rage, keep them at a distance!" Dragonite seemed to take a breath before opening it's mouth and shooting the neon colored flames towards the Skarmory and Fearow's. It missed direct hits, but the intensity of the attack had the pokemon retreating to the opposite side of the battle.

Sadly, by this point the Nidos had recovered and were advancing towards the Dragonite, the king particularly loud in its battle cry. The two grunts that controlled the ground pokemon yelled out orders, that Lance could not hear in all the confusion. The two large pokemon ran at Dragonite, fully prepared to slam it into the ground with their bulk.

A wave of fire stopped them.

It burned in the space between the two forces, its heat distorting the air with its strength. Every eye in the vicinity turned to whatever newcomer was interrupting the battle. And all saw a woman with bright green hair standing beside a beast in orange, who extended its long neck and let loose a cry that seemed to shake the ground.

"Started the party without me have you?" Rayna joked, though he voice lacked any hint of humor. She walked forward staring with emotionless eyes at the group that had assembled while she was away. Her pokemon towered after her, its strong hind legs clawing the ground with exhilaration. The blue flaps of its wings extended outward as it walked, trying to impose fear into the pokemon it knew it would soon meet in battle. Its deep blue eyes traveled the scene, pivoting its horned head in one way then another to see just what it was up against. The pokemon clenched its arms, its massive tail swinging behind it.

"And just who are you?" The blonde man asked, his tone irritated at having someone unexpectedly show up to the battle.

Rayna's eyes glided to his form, taking in the red mark on his chest with a scowl. "No worries," She spoke, a calm detachment to her voice. "You'll be calling me victor in a minute." An almost sinister grin appeared upon her, one she slid into so easily it cause Lance to tense beside her.

"Rayna," Lance whispered to her. Her head notched in his direction, but her eyes never traveled from in front of her. "What are you doing?"

That did cause her to fully glance in his direction however. Her brow was furrowed in confusion. "Helping." She annunciated, as if she was unsure he could hear her.

"This is dangerous." Lance replied.

"Exctly why you need my help." Rayna stated, her voice firm and uncompromising. Lance frowned at her, prepared to argue this point until she glared at him in annoyance and cut him off. "I can handle myself. Beside's there are too many opponents, if you call another pokemon, you're going to have a battle that's too far apart to call the shots properly. And since we can't call anymore pokemon without having the battle's get in each others way because of the limited area, you're just stuck with me and Hiei."

Lance took a quick glance at who he assumed 'Hiei' was. The tall Charizard huffed impatiently at him, clearly unappreciative of being examined. With a deep breath of defeat, Lance agreed. "Fine. I'll take the Skarmory and Fearows. Dragonite and I will fly into sky and battle them there. I'll have the advantage. Can you handle the Nidoking, and Nidoqueen?"

Rayna, for her part, looked mildly insulted. "Of course. And this is good, Hiei has been glaring at the Nidoking since I let him out of his pokeball." She turned back to her opponents, taking only last glance at the stoic professor behind them both. "Stay put professor, we'll take care of this." The professor nodded in recognition.

"Are we done having a little pep talk? Some of us have a schedule to keep." The man ribbed from across the clearing, tired of all the whispering going on.

"Well we'd hate for you to be late." Rayna fired back, her face lined in a fierce annoyance. She walked over to one side of the clearing, away from Lance and his tactics. "Hiei, lets get started."

The Charizard let out a triumphant cry, then beat its wings once to gain momentum as it shot towards the Nidoking.

"Dragonite," Lance called and ran up to his pokemon. The dragon turned to its trainer, watching with sudden soft eyes as he approached it. "We're taking this to the sky." Was all the communication Lance needed. With an almost human nod of the head, the pokemon lowered itself slightly so its trainer could jump upon its back. It swung its wings, bringing it higher and higher into the sky as it called back to its opponents, daring them to try to catch it.

Rayna glanced once more at Lance and his Dragonite. With a small smile she saw them take off, followed closely by the three bird-like pokemon Lance designated as theirs to fight. Quickly she brought herself back to her own fight, watching as Hiei instinctively dodged a double kick the Nidoqueen had sent as him.

"Hiei, use slash, and follow it up with flamethrower point blank!" Rayna commanded, watching as her Charizard used it strong legs to lung into the surprised Nidoqueen. It clawed at the chest plate, making spark fly when it connected. Then fire spewed from Hiei's throat, and Nidoqueen let out a cry of pain as the hot flames made contact with its face.

A loud shout or rage escaped the Nidoking at the sight. It stomped forward, it's mouth open in a poison sting attack that shot forward to Hiei. The Charizard swiftly sprung away, its wings assisting in its speed as the attack whizzed safely by. With impressive flexibility the fire pokemon spinned itself around, sending a fame burst at the attacking pokemon.

Nidoking flew to the side just in time to avoid the attack. It stood between Hiei and the Nidoqueen, protective of the fallen pokemon. Hiei let out a small ball of fire as it seemed to scoff at the opposing pokemon, its competitive streak rearing.

"Hiei, circle above it and use wing attack." Rayna called from behind her pokemon. She watched as its wings thrashed against the air, taking it into the sky as it seemed to gloat at the flightless pokemon with a fanged grin.

Hiei's speed in the sky was impressive. It had just enough space to circle with a sense of leisure, one that caused Rayna to shake her head at her pokemon. It was a prideful pokemon, but it was also her most trusted partner, despite its large sense of self worth.

Charizard's speed increased till it was almost a blur against the dark sky. It sped past Nidoking multiple times, hitting it with its hammer like wings, then lifting back into a spin around for another hit. Nidoking let out a roar of frustration, trying to swipe as the pokemon passed, but Hiei was too quick to be caught. With a viscous cry, it braced itself, then seemed to catch Hiei's wings when he came around again.

Hiei cried out in pain when the Nidoking flung it into the ground, its body gauging out some of the earth and the power in the throw send it a few feet.

Rayna let out a breath of concern, looking upon her fallen pokemon with worry. She took a step forward, fully prepared to run out into the midst's of the fight to aide her precious friend. On step in and Hiei had flung his head up, roaring angrily in the Nidoking's direction. It pushed itself up, returning to its feet and sent a vicious fire blast at the purple pokemon.

"Hiei, finish it with a sky drop!" Rayna directed. Hiei jerked its head in a single nod, then shot towards the injured Nidoking. It grabbed below its arms, wrenching the part poison type into the air and bringing it into the sky. The Charizard passed the treetops, beating its large wings in obvious effort to lift the equally large pokemon into greater heights. But Charizard was determined, and that made him fight all the harder to follow through with Rayna's command. When it deemed it high enough, Hiei spun himself, then used the added energy to fling the Nidoking towards the ground.

The impact made the difficulty worth it. The Nidoking slammed into the earth, creating a crater within the clearing and shooting up gravel and dirt in every direction. Rayna turned from the landing, shielding her eyes from the debris as she felt the ground beneath jump at the collision.

With a grin she watched Hiei return to her side, its breath labored, but in relatively good condition. She threw her arms around his head as he lowered it for her convenience, giving him a hug as she always did when he made it back to her after a battle. "Good job Hiei! You did great!"

Hiei let out a rumble of happiness, as if unsurprised. Rayna drew back, and looked at the unmoving Nidoking and Nidoqueen that were still in the clearing. She was shaken by two more impacts into the ground. Hiei tensed beside her, ready to grab his trainer and take her into the sky if danger presented itself. It did not take its role of her protector lightly.

The forms of the two Fearows greeted them. They too unconscious as the results of their battle. The flapping of wings alerted Rayna to Lance's return, and the Dragonite landed in the clearing lightly.

Lance jumped from his position on his pokemon back, taking a quick glance around and then turned to the standing Rayna and Charizard. "You okay?" He asked, his tone strict, but concern bled through at the very end.

Rayna replied with a nod. "Yeah, how about you and Dragonite?"

"We're fine. We stayed ahead of most of their attacks before hitting them from afar." Lance explained, a frown marring his face. "Where is Team Rocket?"

Rayna let out a sigh of disappointment as he mentioned the unsettling question that had been plaguing her since Hiei landed. "I don't know. There was a blast of dirt and they all just vanished. I couldn't see through it."

"They left their pokemon." Lance commented, sounding furious in the hiss he released with it. Rayna flinched as she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, extremely uneasy.

"Charz-ar." Hiei called from a small ways off. Rayna and Lance looked towards him, and froze in horrow at what it was he had discovered. In his claws, hung Professor Oak's lab coat.

Without any professor in sight.

* * *

**Ramblings of an Author: **Well, here is part 2! Hope you all enjoyed it! I tried to make it as epic as posible, but for some reason everything but the battle was super difficult for me to write. To the point of being pathetic really. It took me two hours to write one page of dialogue between Lance and Rayna. Two hours for like, maybe 300 words! That's very bad. But oh well, I hope that I got their conversation to be at least decent. It went a lot better in my head, but hey, they only just met. It's believable for things to be as awkward as I(unintentionally) wrote them out to be! :)

On another topic, I owe a few thanks you's to some awesome people out there! Special thanks to Jess Readin, jennku, and Farla for being the first three to review my story, however those reviews came out! :)

Brelaina also gets a special thank you for some amazing support that I am extremely greatful for. And everyone who has favorited, or put the story on their alert's. I appreciate all the support, however you feel like showing it! So remember to review or message or anything of the sort. They really do help me with my writing, and I can't even begin to explain how much they mean to get them.

And just incase the name's of the pokemon are confusing, here's the best annunciating I got, good luck interpretating.

Crobat- Byakuya (Bee-a-koo-ya)

Dewgong- Rukia (Roo-key-a)

Charizard- Hiei (He-aye)

And if it interests you, I have a link to a picture of Rayna, and her trainer card on my homepage. It's under the **Leave Me At the Roadside** portion of the page, it shouldn't be too hard to find. And if you want a sneak peak at Rayna's yet to be introduced pokemon, check it out! I worked for two minutes on it! And prop's to anyone who can figure out which Team Rocket member I was using as the big bad for this part, I had completely forgotten about the guys existance until I had to look up someone to use. :)


	3. Beginnings of All Sorts

"Leave Me At the Roadside" A Lance Story (Part 3)

By: Halogirl3000

~Kanto Region, Two Years Prior~

_Professor Oak was whistling a happy tune as he walked on one of the deserted, backwater roads in the Kanto region. He was on his way back to his beloved Pallet Town. Ready to return to his lab and start some new research on the three pokemon known as 'starters'. He was so excited about it. In just a year or so his grandson would be of age to start his pokemon journey, along with another energetic child from down the road. The thought of the two of them going out into the world together, knowing that their rivalry would push them to meet their great potential, almost brought tears to his eyes._

_It was well into the afternoon, and the sun beat down on the Kanto region with a soft glow. The scattered clouds would mask it from time to time, but overall it was a sunny day that lifted most people's hearts._

_With a chuckle birthed from the professor's good mood, he pushed his backpack further up his shoulders. It was filled with papers and documents from the convention he was returning from. He had traveled to Pewter City to attend the scientific 'ball' at the local museum. It had been an exciting week and a half, but now he felt the homesickness calling and he was anxious to make his way back to his lab. He could only hope that he could avoid any trouble along the way._

_And as always, just thinking the words seemed to be an effective jinx on the entire day._

_The professor squinted at the bright road before him. He was walking along side a river, the edge of the road being railed off to avoid anyone falling from the drop into the rushing waters below. A figure was leaning against the metal, looking down into the basin with an eerily still form._

_Professor Oak would look back to this day years later, and wonder to himself if it was fate-if his scientific mind could really accept such a conclusion-that brought his actions of that day. Or if it was purely a coincidence that ended in such a lucky draw of the cards. Either way, it was a day that he would never forget._

_As the professor drew closer to the figure, he began to discern some features of the non-moving being. First off, he concluded that it was a girl. Her long hair announced that quite clearly. It was a light green that the professor had never seen before, made even brighter by the sun reflecting off it with a striking shine. Next, he saw that she had a black backpack resting at her feet. It was bulky, seeming to be filled to the brim with things the professor could only imagine. It seemed to have been carelessly tossed there, most likely by the woman whose mind was a million miles from where she stood._

_The third thing that the professor noticed had him arching an eyebrow in disbelief. The girl was wearing an all black ensemble. It was strangely military like, with golden pin stripes traveling around the collar and across the shoulders. On the front of it, from what the professor could see, the gold lined the body, widening with the cut of the shoulders and sliming as it traveled up the neck. The black pants seemed to flair suddenly at her ankles, and had the same shade of gold lined on the cuffs and sides._

_The fourth, and perhaps most important thing the professor noticed, was the unmistakable, dark red 'R' that was glaring at him from the sleeve of her arm._

_The professor stopped suddenly. He could only gaze at the mark with a quickened breath, his heart beating in his ears. Although he was not nearly as involved with their existence as he would later become, he knew enough to recognize the insignia of Team Rocket when he saw it. They were a relatively recent group, having only just started to get their ploys in the news and people's attention. But their threat was still the same pokemon centered madness that it would always be._

_The professor's strange actions had drawn the attention of the mistakenly oblivious girl. She tilted her eyes in his direction, and the professor was hit with the intensity of her stare. The golden hue of her eyes only made the gaze she landed him with all the more piercing. The orbs were shadowed however, by a hatred and darkness that the professor could not understand. They burned into him, fierce in personality and so serious in nature that he couldn't help but think them older than the girl they were with._

_Moments passed in silence, neither occupant moving a muscle as they both waited for the other to act first. A breeze rustled the grass beside the road, and pushed against the girl's hair and the professor's coat flaps in the typical, dramatic fashion._

_With a scoff, the girl finally turned her head back to the river. "I'm not going to mug you, if that's what your worried about." Her voice was low, and the professor could only just make out the words. It was spoken with distain clinging to each vowel, and a clear dismissal in tone that, had it been spoken in any other different situation, the professor would have felt himself deeply insulted._

_The professor took a hesitant step forward, and waited to see it the girl reacted at all. She didn't. And so the professor continued. He'd take a step, then glance to see if she had made any sort of aggressive move, then take another step when he had confirmed she was still distracted by the waters._

_In this manner it took the professor five minutes to walk behind her and to a far enough space away that he felt comfortable enough to let out a sigh of relief. The bizarreness of what had just happened was not lost on him. From what he knew of Team Rocket, they were an incredible secretive group, and were not above thievery and assault in a situation such as this. With a shake of his head he turned back towards the direction of Pallet Town. The quicker he got into a city of any sort, the quicker he'd be able to stop looking over his shoulder._

_However the professor did not make it far. His feet paused and would not move no matter how much the logical part of his mind-and he was a scientist, so this was a large portion of his mind-screamed at him to get out of there as fast as possible. Something caused him to hesitate, and even worse, glance back at the girl he knew he should be retreating from._

_She had clearly gone back to her internal deliberations, ignoring whatever surrounded her with a focus that again spoke of years she clearly did not own. Her face was a veil of urgency and stiffness. Her green eyebrows were furrowed together while her lips were twisted in a gruesome show of cold indifference. Her hands clenched each other reverently, shaking themselves in the effort to keep them still._

_The professor took all this in, and tried to understand why this scene made his heart ache for the girl he should not be worried about. His mind told him he should be worried about himself, knowing what he knew of this girl's allegiances. But he could not abandon her like this, with this internal pain that seemed to be screaming from her very body. Something in him was poignantly refusing to let him leave as he should._

_So without understanding why, he took a few soft steps towards her. He left enough room for her not to feel cornered, but was close enough where he would be able to notice any change in her facial expressions. _

"_Are you alright?" The professor asked cautiously. It was for the best that he left space between them. The girl's eyes flew open in surprise, and she whipped to his direction with a raised hand in preparation as if to defend herself from a physical blow. Her body was tense, and her eyes wild as she looked at the professor with an angry sort of confusion. _

"_Excuse me?" She asked, her eyes now glaring at him in suspicion. He was not offended however, it only reflected the doubt in his actions that he too felt. But he had already come this far, and the professor decided that he was seeing this through._

"_Are you alright?" The professor asked again, slower this time, and with a tilt of his head that tried to convey his honest concern for her._

_The woman stared at him for a long moment, as if waiting for him to wake from a trance and realize what he was doing. "Why do you care?"_

_The professor took a moment to think about his answer. She was clearly suspicious of him, and he would have to be careful as to not set her off. "You seem distressed. I was just making sure you were okay, and seeing if there was anything I could do to help."_

_The girl was perplexed by the man before her. Her eyes traveled his slightly wrinkled face, reading it to try to understand why he was standing there instead of running for the nearest police station like any normal person would do._

"_Well it's really none of your business, so just leave before you start to irritate me." The girl stated, ice in her voice as she glared at the professor. She turned back to the river, pointedly ignoring him at this point._

_The professor felt the ridiculous urge to sulk in the face of such rejection. But determination clung heavily to his heart, and he would not neglect this impulse to aid her. Stubbornness shone through his eyes as he tried a different approach. "But you said that you weren't going to mug me."_

_A twitch caught the girl's eye at hearing his statement. She turned her incredulous eyes in his direction, and saw the annoyingly large grin at his lips. And the most absurd thing about all this was he knew he was playing with fire. There was a knowledge of this in his eyes, and she could not figure out just what was driving him to disregard the obvious danger she presented to him._

"_Look, I don't know what kind of game you are playing but you'd do best to back out now. Clearly from your reaction to seeing me earlier you know what I'm affiliated with. So why are you so intent on aggravating me into seeing just what I will do?" The girl stated. Her words were cross, and she could only glance at him from the corner of her eye, just because all this talk was starting to intrigue her at what his man's intentions were._

"_You are correct, when you say I know what that symbol on your sleeve means. So you must understand my fascination in finding one of your types who is uninterested in stealing from people. And also why your obvious confliction is cause for me to question what is wrong." The professor moved to lean against the rail as he spoke, his forearms holding his weight to leave him free to face the green haired maiden who would now not even look at him._

_The girl was silent for her part. Her thoughts were traveling in circles as she found difficulty in keeping her irritation ignited within her. The more this man spoke, the more inclined she became to believe that he was just genuinely concerned. But that thought was one she could not accept as truth. People did not care for strangers the way this man seemed to. Particularly, strangers they believed to be part of a dangerous gang. The girl could not repress the snort that resulted from these thoughts. 'Affiliation' was the center of her problems._

"_Just leave me alone. It'll be better for everyone if you walk away right now." The statement was crisp and firm, and had the professor an ounce less of determination, he would have given up._

"_Being a member of Team Rocket shouldn't you be interested in more stealth than you are currently showing? What if a police officer had walked by, you would've been arrested." The professor desperately wanted to understand this girl. It was now a matter of pride, that his problem solving abilities were in question from this puzzle that stood before him._

_With a sharp bark of laughter the girl threw her head back, her eyes scornful and bitter as the gazed at the bank across from her. "A member? I'm not quite sure I'd be considered as such anymore."_

_The professor frowned beside her. This was not exactly the reaction he was going for, but it was definitely some sort of progress. "What does that mean exactly?"_

_Golden eyes glanced his way, as lips fell into a contemplating frown. She could tell him just what she meant by that, and the desire to explain it was stronger then she had thought possible. After all, this was a random stranger, and these some of the most personal issues the girl had. But again, destiny or chance played its hand, and the unpredictable happened. "It depends really. Would you consider blowing up a top secret lab as a form of two weeks notice?"_

_The professor could only stare at the girl, wondering idly if she were telling the truth. But for the first time since he had laid eyes on her, she looked her age. A strange look of sheepishness had fallen upon her, and her eyes were looking away as if to avoid his judgment in a way a child looks away after doing something they know would upset their caretaker. An air of embarrassment hung about, whether resulting from her confession, or the deed she had done, the professor did not know, but he did know that she needed someone to turn to._

"_I would actually." The professor stated, and saw his words had an immediate effect on the girl. Her eyes turned downcast, and the professor couldn't help the stab of guilt that struck his heart. "However, I think you're better off for it."_

_When the girl turned back to him, her eyes were much clearer. The dark shadows that haunted them had lessened, and the professor could see a sliver of the girl beneath the masquerade. Perhaps it was the small bit of hope that shimmered beneath her gaze, or the way he got the impression that his opinion-for a reason he could not pinpoint- mattered to the girl, but he made an instantaneous decision._

"_If you have quit Team Rocket, does that mean you have nowhere else to go?" At once the professor knew he had not chosen the right words. The girl tensed, and her eyes masked themselves with steel._

"_I don't need your help, or your pity."_

"_Good, because I wasn't offering it." Professor Oak stated back. He frowned lightly as his mind raced with ways to make this situation turn back around. "What I am offering, is a second chance. I don't know what caused you to quit Team Rocket, and I won't ask. Something has changed your mind, and that is your business. But I do know that you don't pity the strong for the strength they have suffered to gain. So I won't. But there is no shame in changing one's opinion as you have. So do not mistake the offer I am about to make for me feeling sorry for you." The girl looked at him, her eyes still unreadable, but the slight twitch now and again in her lips were enough to see he was getting through to her._

"_My name is Professor Oak. I have a lab in Pallet Town just south of here, and I can always use some help in caring for the pokemon on my grounds, or just my research in general. I would like for you to come with me, if you wanted. It could be a fresh start for you." The professor extended his hand in welcome, and waited for a reply._

_The girl did not know what to do. Her gaze traveled rapidly from the professor's eyes, to his outstretched hand, both suddenly incredibly intimidating to her. Her mind was flooded with thoughts and feelings that she had for so long locked away within her, in order to do what she had deem__ed her job. They were at war within her, feelings of hatred and helplessness swirling around inside of her, as they had been for the past two days. Ever since she had betrayed the organization, and set aflame the building where Team Rocket's shallow obsession with power had become known to her._

_She took a glance at her pack, and could see the illusion of her six pokeballs glowing through the fabric of the exterior. She remembered the promise she had made to them all, her faithful partners that she did not deserve. 'It is my turn to protect you this time.' She had spoken, and she had meant. She would not fail them again._

_The girl let out a breath, and her shoulders rose with confidence. In her minds eyes she could hear the roar of a Charizard, one that filled her with strength and chased away the feelings of helplessness and loneliness until all that was left was the determination to change her life. She met the gaze of the professor, and reached out her hand until it wrapped with his in an agreement she would not break._

_A smile washed across Professor Oak's face, and in his heart he could feel a sense of pride in this small girl he could not even try to contain. He realized this was a strange situation for both of them, and that it would be difficult to try to heal everything Team Rocket had done to this girl. Even as a member, he could only imagine the hardships she had faced within it, and how it had aged her. But he would help, if she would let him, and he would try to lighten her heart, as he now knew she was able to._

_The girl let out a sigh, as if a weight had lifted from her. She looked up into the smiling face of the professor, and couldn't help the small grin she sent back. She didn't know where this strange old man got the idea to help her, but she wouldn't question it. She knew malevolence when she saw it, and this guy didn't have a harmful bone in his body. She would trust him, trust in how confident he was that he could help her. She hoped her statement made that clear._

"I am Rayna."

* * *

~Police Station, Goldenrod City~

Rayna slowly opened up her eyes, her hand flying up to shield them as they blinked painfully against the luminescent lights within the building. Once her eyes adjusted to the glow above her, her hand fell across her face, rubbing it in the hopes it would help relieve the headache that pounded against her skull. She took time to sit up, her tired body resisting in protest as she moved muscles that had been straining since the fight in the forest.

Rayna let out a shallow breath, in hopes of controlling the torrent of pain and regret that pulled at her heartstrings. Just the thought of the battle was enough to evaporate the sweet forgetfulness that accompanied sleep. Although even in her dreams it appeared she could not escape the guilt of letting the professor get kidnapped by Team Rocket.

It being that particular dream didn't help either. It only emphasized the feelings of guilt that ravaged through Rayna with each breath she took. She could not believe that after everything the professor had done for her, she had allowed him to be stolen away by those intent to hurt him. She had failed him, and that statement rang through her head in a never ending taunt that sunk her deeper into self resentment.

Rayna pressed the heel of her hand into her temple, unable to change her trail of thought from the day she first met the professor. She let out a sour chuckle at just how strange the man had seemed at the time. He had been so kind to her, and she had been scathing and hell bent the entire meeting. She did not believe the worry in his eyes at first, and was so defensive and cruel because she had never known the sincerity he had shown existed.

But then he offered her a second chance, one she could not scorn at no matter how much it beat against her pride. Rayna owed the professor everything. He had brought her into his home, shown her that the world was not as cut-throat and savage as she had been led to believe. The things he taught her were some of the most valuable lessons she held. Compassion, trust, and mercy were instilled into her by his generosity, and it caused her to shiver at the memory of who she once was.

It had been rough at first. It was a complete life style change for Rayna, and it took many months of mistakes and reluctant acceptance of aid for her to find a place for herself within the professor's lab. Multiple times the professor would find her sulking at a pokemon who would not listen to her, or glaring at a stack of papers that couldn't file themselves. It was a work in process from the start, but the professor had been patient the entire time.

And as the days passed, Rayna felt her anger ebb away a little at a time. She learned to connect to pokemon through games and laughter, rather then anger and disappointment that represented all her past connections, except for those with her own pokemon. She had grown under the professor's tutelage, into the woman she was today.

And since Rayna owed him so much, the shame she felt for failing him when he needed her most was more intense than she could have ever guessed it to be.

"Miss?" A soft voice pulled Rayna from her internal blame. She looked up into the reddish-brown eyes of Officer Jenny. Rayna blinked her way, being so caught off guard that she could not form a rational thought for moments after being so abruptly pulled from her own mind. The aqua haired woman gazed worriedly at her, her capped head tilting slightly in regard.

"Sorry," Rayna replied breathlessly. "I was just thinking. Are you and Lance done?"

Officer Jenny nodded in affirmation, and straightened into a more authoritative stance. "Yes, if you'll just come with me, we can finish up with the report."

Rayna pushed herself to stand beside the taller woman, and followed her down one of the hallways that led further into Goldenrod's Police H.Q. The industrial shade of blue used for the walls only caused her head to beat against itself even harder, and not for the first time since entering the facility, Rayna desperately wished that filing missing person's reports did not take so long. Not that she should be complaining, this was all in an effort to find the professor after all.

It took sweet little time for Lance and Rayna to get their act together after realizing the professor's disappearance. They went out on their pokemon, hoping desperately for some sign of where he could have been taken. They searched for an hour, but neither could find anything to lead them to Team Rocket. It was as if the group had disappeared altogether. They reunited at the campground, both dejected in spirit, and came up with a small plan. The camping equipment was pulled together, and all the research was packed away so they could return to Goldenrod. Three hours after the kidnapping took place, both witnesses were walking into the police station, talking with the secretary and getting Officer Jenny to take their statements. It was a small effort, but one that couldn't be avoided no matter how unlikely it was to have an effect.

Rayna shook she head in another effort to keep her tired mind focused at the matter at hand. Officer Jenny had pulled open one of the doors to the side of the hall, and Lance walked out, as stone faced as he had been all night. There were slight bruises under his eyes, speaking of the sleepless night they both had endured. His hair was tussled, like he had ran his hand through it many times in irritation. Rayna could definitely relate.

"So what now?" Rayna asked, turning to Jenny with a exhausted sigh. Beside her, Lance braced himself against the wall, folding his arms across his chest as he waited to hear what he knew was coming. He was familiar with police investigations, having set off quite a few of them himself, but this was different. And not in the good way.

"We've entered the information into the police database. Any surrounding town or city will be informed about what has happened, and our forces will be searching for the professor wherever they go. We'll get his face on the news and see if anyone has seen him, or suspicious activities that could have something to do with his kidnapping." The officer looked down at the floor before letting out a sigh of apprehension. Shyly she glanced at the two young adults that stood before her. She was impressed with their ability to cooperate at such a late hour, and when they were both so obvious bogged down emotionally over what had happened. Through out the entirety of the interrogations, neither of them had changed from their neutral mask. Both answered the questions diligently, but there was a shared air of desperation that the two didn't even realize they had. It caused Jenny's heart to swell uncomfortably at how hopeless the two looked.

"We'll do all we can for him." Jenny was aware of how pathetic her saying that sounded, like she didn't believe they could help the professor any more then the two before did. But it was something of protocol, and even more than that, it was her dire wish that she could offer some form of comfort for them.

Lance let out a breath he had been holding for the last minute or so. An anger filled him, making his lungs burn against his rib cage in a fury directed at the entirely of Team Rocket. And himself. His hands clenched against his arms, and it was only his intense training and the habit of his overall solitary way of handling things that kept his face from betraying his feelings. He pushed himself from the wall, and gave Officer Jenny a small smile to help relieve some of the rage within him.

"Thank you Officer Jenny. We appreciate everything you've done." Lance said, and turned to look at the quiet Rayna beside him. She nodded along, giving Jenny a small smile and gratitude of her own, before gliding away down the hall like a ghost. Lance followed behind her, heading towards the exit.

Behind them, Officer Jenny could only look on with a troubled frown. She hoped that the two of them would be okay in the end of it all.

Outside, Rayna took a deep gasp of fresh air, futilely hoping it would all be a bad dream, and she would wake up with Hiei curled up beside her in a peaceful sleep. But she knew that wasn't going to happen, and it only resulted in making her slightly lightheaded. With a glance to her side, she saw Lance looking at her with an uneasy gleam to his eyes. Rayna raised her eyebrow in question.

"What?" She asked, her voice soft an airy. The sun was reaching high into the sky, and it was already early morning in Goldenrod. They had been awake all night it seems, Rayna thought to herself with an annoyed scowl. No wonder she was so weary.

"Are you okay?" Lance asked, deeply worried about the woman in front of him. On the outside she seemed fine, definitely strained from her lack of sleep, but overall one would never suspect her to be overwhelmed by grief. Lance wasn't even sure how he knew this. After all, he had barely known Rayna for 24 hours. But he could tell that this withdrawn front she displayed was not normal for her.

"I'm fine. Look, we told Officer Jenny about the Gible's in the forest, and she said she'd keep an eye out for them. So I guess we've done all we can for them. We have no reason to hang around." Rayna said, forcing a bright smile to her face. It hurt her cheeks, but it was a price she would gladly pay to start up with her new agenda.

Lance was not impressed. Or fooled. He had seen Rayna's true grin, and this shallow excuse for a replica did little to make him believe her claim. But he would play along for a moment or two. Just until he could call her out on whatever it was she was planning. "I see. So what will you do now?"

Rayna shifted her feet beneath her, keeping the misleading attitude about her. "Don't really know. I might head over to Ecruteak City. I've been meaning to visit the Tin Tower, a few of my pokemon really enjoy the area, and a break is sounding extremely tempting right about now."

Lance had to give it to her, she was a damn good actor. Had he not seen how broken up she was over the professor's capture himself, he might have believed that she was perfectly fine. Unfortunately for her, he had. And he did not fancy falling into her list of 'suckers', one he couldn't help but imagine was unusually long.

"Well, it's been, . . . interesting Lance." Rayna said, and downscaled her grin to a lighter smile, one that took a tilt at the corner with a small amount of wistfulness. "I can't help but think it would've been fun to get to know you." With that she took a small step back, still sending him that smile that made his mind muddle for a precious moment in a way it never had before.

"See you around." Rayna called behind her, sending up her hand into the air in a goodbye wave, and started to walk away from him, most likely forever.

"You're going after them." Lance stated behind her, his tone a single notch below outraged. This caused Rayna to freeze mid step, a guilty flash of surprise to befall her features. With the skills of a prima ballerina, she whirled around, looking at him as if she couldn't wrap her head around how he had called her on that.

"How the _heck_ did you know that?" Rayna couldn't raise her voice above a shocked whisper, but it traveled to him all the same.

Lance couldn't help the superior smirk that pulled at his lips. Quite honestly he didn't know where the sudden thought had come from, but he was happy to find that it seemed to be correct. And the scandalized look Rayna was sending him was only making the entire situation seem almost humorous.

"Doesn't matter. You are, aren't you? You're going after Team Rocket and the professor on your own." Lance stated, taking a step closer to her.

Rayna's affronted look slipped into a serious one, and Lance had to pause to place where he had seen such a look on the usually cheerful girl before. "What if I am? Are you going to try to stop me? Because I will warn you now that there is nothing you can do to keep me from trying to find Professor Oak." Rayna spoke, her tone icy and prepared to fight.

The answer hit Lance like a punch to the stomach. He almost physically lost his breath as his mind replayed the few moments of dialogue before they separated to battle their opponents. Rayna had been serious then too. And just like before it caused Lance to pause at the drastic change in demeanor from her. It reminded him, once again, that he really did not know this girl. It was foolish of him to think that he could predict what she would do, and just what she was capable of. The though caused him to distrust her, as he remembered the look in her eyes as she glared down at the Team Rocket members that were in her way.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous Team Rocket is? This is not going to be like some little adventure that you read in books. You could die." Lance commented, staring her in the eyes and trying to compete with the glare she sent him.

"I am fully aware of what I am getting into Lance. But we both know that the police won't be able to find him. He's probably not even in Goldenrod anymore, and Team Rocket knows how to keep under the radar. I owe the professor, and I can't just stand by while _they,_" The spite in that one word had Lance backtracking some. "Try to use him for their advantage!"

The anger in Rayna's tone had Lance hesitating. As he looked at her, he saw a fierce spirit. One that, despite his warnings, would go head first into this fight alone if she needed to. There was nothing he could say to deter her. And this reminded him of the faith that Professor Oak had showed in her. For some reason, the professor believed that she could handle herself when factoring in Team Rocket. And the strength Lance saw beneath her fury was not one of your average pokemon trainer. Her abilities went beyond just giving orders to her pokemon, and there was this confidence that made it seem that she could handle herself even without them.

With a sigh, and still giving Rayna a hard look of disagreement, Lance spoke. "I understand how you feel. The police won't be of much help to him, that's why I was planning on searching for him myself. I have a few contacts in town here that may have information we could use. I won't let you go into this alone. I've infiltrated Team Rocket before, and I know my way around the underbelly of the system.

"We'll work together to find Professor Oak." Lance finished, and immediately wished he could take those words back. It was hard enough to get into Team Rocket unnoticed by himself, but with someone else to watch over, he seriously doubted if it could be done. But it was better in the long run this way. Rayna was going to do this no matter what, and he could not in good conscience let her do it alone.

Rayna hissed in a shallow breath at Lance proposition. She had no doubt about his abilities, he was the champion after all, and she was very familiar with the rigors the Pokemon G-Men required of their members. She had met enough of them in her Team Rocket days to know just how daunting their strength truly was. But she had never really worked with anyone before. Cooperation was not her strong point. One of the traits that made her so effective within the organization was her ability to work alone on any given assignment, with just her pokemon as backup.

But it seemed like a challenge to Rayna, and if Lance was going to be stiff about this entire affair, she may as well go along with it. She took a step back, drawing Lance from his thoughts. She looked up at him, decisiveness in her eyes, and her shoulders were squared with determination.

"Fine," Rayna conceded. "We'll do this your way. But just a forewarning, don't expect that you can just push me aside when things get dicey. I'm in this for the long run, and you'd do well to remember that I will act as I see fit, and not by your orders."

Lance couldn't help the grin that wanted to burst forth. She sounded so regal, as if this was her idea from the beginning. The spit-fire within her was sparking, and he could already tell that they were going to have some issues with the whole 'working together' bit of all this. Surprisingly, it didn't bother him at the moment. "Fine. But for now we are both practically dead on our feet. We've been up all night, so I think we should find some hotel, and sleep for a few hours to regain our strength and minds. We can talk more about this when we've rested."

Rayna gratefully did not protest the thought. She nodded quickly in agreement, and let any fight left within her drain out with whatever energy she had left. Silence seized their walk to the closest, decent hotel, and the walk was a giant blur by the time they made it to the receptionist desk of The Cozy Snorlax(0.0).

After a brief greeting, Lance paid for two separate but close by rooms-which just demonstrated how tired Rayna really was-and they both entered the elevator that would take them to the third floor.

"Argh! This is ridiculous! My legs feel like lead!" Rayna complained as the doors dinged to announce their arrival to their level. The anger had left with whatever strength it had been fueled by, and all that was left was the typical, complaining mess that Rayna was expected to be.

Lance chuckled beside her, not voicing his agreement. She whined enough for the both of them. He stood before the door to one of the rooms, and waited for Rayna to pull open the door to hers.

They both looked at each other, to depleted in all ways to realize the potential this moment had to be awkward. "We'll talk about what to do next in a few hours." Lance said, giving her a tired smile.

Rayna gave one right back. "Right, good night Lance!" She said, then waved dismissively behind her disappearing figure when she heard him chuckle at her.

"Morning, afternoon! Whatever!"

Rayna barely made it to the bed before she collapsed in a sleeping form.

* * *

**Ramblings of an Author:** Hey everyone! Here is part 3 of the story. I hope you all liked it. I worked on it during the ONLY snow day I have had this winter, and past midnight when I have to wake up early the next day, so you should all feel grateful that I'm willing to sacrifice so much for this story. Jk, but I was serious, I had a snow day on Monday and it ROCKED! I did nothing but write and watch tv all day! :)

I gotta get out two thank you's for this round. Shadow-dog18, and Brelaina, thank you both so much for reviewing the story, and your support! I really appreciate it. As a note to all the readers, I wanna thank you guys for making it with me to the third part, and say that I hope to see you back when the fourth one comes along(but don't hold your breath!) :)

On an extremely random note, I decided to go back and watch some pokemon episodes from the very first season just for kicks. Is it pathetic of me to get worked up again at how message-less the new seasons of the show are now? The episode I watched, ironically enough, was the touching tale of when Ash was a moron and got stuck in a blizzard with only his pokemon, who all stayed out of their pokeballs to cuddle with him to minimize the coldness. I was honestly moved by the episode. You don't see that kind of thought and significance in anything that goes on now a days with the pokemon episodes.

Now that I've proven just how much of a loser/geek I am with my rant, I just wanna encourage all you amazing people reading to review, or message, or anything else that you feel like doing! Anything that ties in with the story, I am extremely grateful to receive, so have an awesome last week or so of February! Love all around, even if you didn't have a valentine! :)


	4. Happenings of the Illegal Variety

"Leave Me At the Roadside" A Lance Story (Part 4)

By: Halogirl3000

~The Cozy Snorlax, Goldenrod City~

The incessant banging was starting to become a problem.

This was dually noted as Rayna pulled the pillow over her head in resistance to the noise that was so rudely calling her from her sleep. It had been assaulting her for the last five minutes, and seemed to be in no danger of stopping anytime soon. Her groaning became louder as the hope of resisting consciousness was fading along with her patience.

"Rayna?" Lance's voice sounded through the pause of his knocking. He sent a glare of annoyance to his side of the door. This much irritation so soon after he woke up had to be bad for his health, but his traveling companion seemed to not care.

"I'm serious Rayna," Lance stated firmly, "Wake up! We've got to start working on how to find the professor." A door down the hall opened quickly, and Lance cringed in embarrassment as he received a harsh glare from an elderly woman who popped her head out from the doorframe. With an apologetic smile sent the stranger's way, he returned to glowering in shame at Rayna's door. He muttered angrily to himself, before the door whipped open and he was pulled into the room with speed that left him momentarily disoriented..

"Quite the wake up call you have there, Lance." Rayna commented dryly as she closed the door behind them. She watched as he stumbled into the room, barely able to regain his footing before he collided with the floor. With a grin that spoke volumes about how much enjoyment she received from this small act of revenge, she walked back to the bed she had so suddenly abandoned.

"I was knocking for five minutes." Lance stated back, irritation distracting him from his manners on how to properly greet someone in the morning.

"I noticed. I was trying to ignore it for five minutes." Rayna shot back. She rubbed her eyes as she took a seat on the edge of the room's bed. It was a futile attempt to fully wake herself and be rid of the cranky attitude she typically had after just waking up.

Lance let out a sigh and mentally gave up on the topic, he was pretty confident he wouldn't win anyways. He pulled at a chair from beside him, where it rested before the room's wood desk that matched the set found in his own room. He flipped it around, and straddled the back of the chair in one quick movement. His forearms leaned against the back of the chair as he placed chin upon them, showing an equal amount of tiredness as what Rayna was presenting.

"Did you sleep alright?" Lance asked, letting his previous irritation slip from his shoulders as he looked at the miserable state Rayna appeared to be in. Her hair was a mess of frizz and wild strands, letting him know for sure he had been her wake up call. Her clothes were wrinkled beyond comprehension, and Lance had a hunch that she had passed out on the bed as soon as she had reached it earlier.

Rayna glanced up with clearer eyes than when she had first pulled him into the room. A grin containing the small amount of mirth she was capable of producing after just waking was shot his way. "Is it strange that even though I travel most of the time I have to say I don't sleep well in hotels?"

Lance nodded, a small laugh escaping him at the notion. "A bit. But there's no place like home right?" He could share her sentiments. No matter how nice a hotel was, it could never compete to a home one knew and felt comfortable in.

Rayna let one last yawn pass her lips before she declared herself awake for good. "How about you?" She asked as she set to work on the nest her hair had turned into over night.

"I fell asleep fast enough, considering how tired I was, but I can't say it was a good sleep." Lance conceded, the melancholy mood from before rearing back into their midst. Rayna frowned across the room at him, pausing in the action of combing through her hair with her fingers.

"So what's the plan for today? We have to start trying to find a trace of the professor." Rayna said, her quiet tone causing her to flinch and resume the actions with her hair as a distraction from how depressed she was.

"There's a guy here in town who may be able to help. He's a snitch I've used before on getting information on Team Rocket. I'm going to find him and see if he knows anything on what Team Rocket wants with the professor. Hopefully he'll know something." Lance said, his eyes avoiding Rayna's and seeking out a picture on the wall.

Rayna noticed the effort, and tilted her head slightly in confusion. "So how do we find this guy?"

Lance cringed from the assumption Rayna had made, one he knew was going to anger her mood to be corrected on. "I think only I should go. He doesn't exactly like to meet strangers. He's a bit paranoid."

Rayna let out an unhappy snort. "I'll bet." She muttered, and her eyes narrowed in displeasure. She knew exactly why the snitch was being so cautious. Snitches were dealt with swiftly and harshly if they were ever found out by Team Rocket. Rayna herself had been sent after a few before. They were usually the same bunch, spiny little men who were out to profit a few bucks, and ran at the first sign of someone being onto them. This tended to make them a bit jumpy.

"So what, I just can't come?" The tone implied Lance should answer the question very carefully.

"It's not that I'm trying to keep you from helping to find the professor," Lance stated, looking Rayna in the eye to show her how serious he was. "It's just that this guy is the best and only shot I think we have at finding the professor. I don't want to jeopardize the chance that he might know something and be willing to give it."

Rayna glared from her position from the bed, knowing that the effect was ruined by the state of her hair and clothes. With a loud grumble she fell back on the bed, and grabbed the closest pillow to push it against her face in anger. "And just what am I supposed to do?" Her muffled shout sounded from beneath all the cotton.

Lance frowned for a moment in confusion, until he pieced together her statement. With a shake of his head he silently thanked Ho-Oh that she was putting up less of a fight than he had expected. He was extremely grateful for that. "Anything you want. Explore the city, sleep some more or visit the Department store. Hell, go to the Game Corer if you want"

Rayna sat up, a dull look on her face. "Did you really just suggest I go gambling?"

Lance gave her an equally flat look back. "Just don't get into trouble, okay. That's all I'm asking."

Rayna let out a sigh as she conceded the point. "Fine! I'll leave you alone to go to your secret meeting. Just know that I don't like this one bit." With that being stated she rose to her feet, making her way to the bathroom. "I'm going to get ready, are you taking off right now or waiting around?"

"It will probably take all day to find this guy and schedule a meeting with him anyways so I think I'll head out now. I, for one, am ready afterall. " Lance responded with a slight grin in Rayna's direction. He was extremely surprised she conceded the point so quickly. So much so, he didn't question at all what her reasons for such an easy defeat were.

Rayna let out a short scoff, and glanced at his changed outfit from yesterday. He wore a stylish red denim jacket, whose shade almost rivaled his hair. Beneath he wore a pitch black turtle-neck, as well a baggy black pants held up by a dull, maroon belt. His red boots completed the new look. "No cape?" She couldn't help but taunt.

Lance rolled his eyes at the comment, one he received more often than he cared to admit whenever he appeared without his trademark cloak. It was almost not worth the effort to forgo his favorite accessory for all the flack he endured. "I'd prefer to avoid as much attention today as possible. This is what I wear when I want to be discreet."

Rayna couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her at that. "The cons of being famous it seems." With a final sigh she sent him a complacent grin. "For what it's worth, good luck today. I hope you get something out of this guy."

Lance nodded gratefully back to her, remembering that for all her complaining and defiance, she had just as much riding on this as himself. "So do I. But no matter what, we'll find the professor Rayna, I promise."

Standing up, Lance pulled a paper from his jacket's pocket, he laid it on the desk as he replaced the chair in preparation to leave. "This is where I usually meet up with him. Meet me there tonight and we'll go over what I've learned, and hopefully think up a plan for what we're going to do about finding the professor." With that he gave her one last smile of encouragement, then turned to start up his search for the elusive snitch.

Rayna nodded to his back, sending him a smile as he left the room. Locking the door behind him, she rushed towards the open door of the bathroom, ready to wash away whatever grogginess she still felt so she could start her own plans for the day.

* * *

~Downtown, Goldenrod City~

The sky was already dark as night rolled its way across Goldenrod.

And with it came the legendary nightlife of Goldenrod itself. The city remained lit by the multitude of signs and lights that remained on, welcoming travelers and residents into the streets to continue enjoying the day with amusements and attractions.

And enjoy it they did. The streets were still populated to the brim with people walking this way and that, in search of a shop or bar that could entertain them a bit longer.

Luckily for Rayna, the roofs were much less crowded, with the added benefit of darkness to conceal herself in.

Rayna looked over the edge the building she was on, grinning down at the unsuspecting people below. None bothered to raise their gaze to the rafters above, not that they would have much luck of seeing her to begin with. The startling contrast between the bright streets and the dark shadows that remained above the avenues would blind all to her movements regardless of if they bothered to look. The feeling of total invisibility was one familiar to Rayna, one she hadn't had the chance to relished in, in quite a long time.

"Umbre-!" A call to the side drew Rayna's attention from the crowds below, but her impish grin still remained as she looked upon her dark companion for the night.

"Sorry Futeki," Rayna said as she drew away from edge. "I just got a bit distracted."

A huff of impatience fell from the lips of the other creature on the roof. Dark red eyes looked at its trainer with an uninterested air, practically glowing from the darkness as it waited on its hunches. The black feline-ish body was taunt, ready at a moments notice to vanish into the shadows that it came from. The only other sign of its existence in the blackness were sets of glowing, golden rings placed on its forehead, ears, legs and tail. The Umbreon was ready to do what it was best at, which was thieving with its partner.

With a giggle Rayna approached her pokemon, placing a hand on Futeki's head to rub it in affection where it stood at knee level. "Someone's a bit anxious to get started, huh girl?"

"Bree-" Futeki answered, pulling away from the coddling to continue on with the night's mission. It shook its head at the incredibility of it all. Really, where would its trainer be without it to keep focused on the job?

"Fine," Rayna conceded, following the Umbreon to the next roof on the route to where they were going. "Just trying to lighten the mood. No use going into a job all tense and serious. Takes all the fun out of doing something illegal to begin with." Rayna didn't need to see her pokemon to know it rolled its eyes at her. Futeki was a rude pokemon like that after all.

Together trainer and pokemon traveled from Downtown Goldenrod to the Business district, which was shrouded in darkness as working hours were long since over. It was at this point that Rayna's grin slid from her face, leaving determination clinging to her lips.

Silently, Rayna and Futeki leapt from the top of the last building in the trail they were following. They landed on the next roof, crouching low in an instinctive motion to stay hidden. Rayna crept to the edge of the glass lined building, Futeki at her side with rings dimmed.

With a sigh Rayna laid her body flat to the ground below her, already resigned to start the most annoying part of any operation, in her humble opinion. Stake outs were always a test of her patience, one she was confident she'd fail every time if Futeki were not around to glare her into compliance.

Rayna shivered as the full length of her body hit the concrete, the full body suit doing little to keep out the chilling effect of stone. As cliché as it was, Rayna was decked out in all black. A plain long sleeved shirt was tucked into tight, black pants. A belt was strapped to her waist, pouches filled with any and everything that would assist her that night. Thick soled boots were at her feet, and black leather gloves encased her hands. To finish off the look, her thick green hair was pulled under a chapeau hat, to prevent it from getting in her way.

"There it is Futeki," Rayna said as she pulled out binoculars from her pack, and directed them at the building across from them. "Team Rocket's Goldenrod base. It's been a while since I've seen it."

The building in question was an impressive feat of human ingenuity. It certainly didn't look to be the home of a criminal organization, but then again, that was the point. It would be counterproductive if the people of Goldenrod knew there was still a stronghold of Team Rocket within their city. There was still so much local animosity for the organization since the failed take over at the Radio Tower, that there was no doubt the organization would be hunted down if there was even a inkling of their continued influence here.

No, the city believed this building to be a humble pharmaceutical company. But Rayna remembered walking into those very doors and continuing on to the laboratory below ground level. Although this base dealt more with recording and organizing Team Rocket's operations, there was no completely scientist-free place within the company. A fact Rayna loathed even before her true contempt for the syndicate was born.

'Crazies.' Rayna thought to herself with a scowl. Shaking her head to rid herself of the unpleasant thought of the scientific minds Team Rocket attracted and employed, she brought the binoculars back to her eyes, and scanned the building from top to bottom.

"If I remember correctly, the managers office is on the 11th floor, on the North facing wall. That should place it right in front of us." Ranyna moved her gaze to the center of the building, seeing the familiar balcony of the manager's suite that she had seen from the other side of the glass so many times before. "That's the one. From in there, we should be able to hack into the computer system, and hopefully find something about the professor. Plus, it should be the most secure position in the building for us. They would not put cameras in that room for any reason, to avoid recording anything incriminating. Which means that the only security measures will be infrared lights, and maybe some pressure sensors at the access points.

"All in all, nothing we can't handle, right Futeki?" Rayna said as she glanced at her partner. Futeki was gazing at the building with an excited shine to its eyes, as it nodded beside its trainer. "Let's get started then."

Rayna turned to lay on her back, her hands already reaching into her packs and assembling the line that she was going to use to get to the other building. She made quick work of the multiple parts, putting them together to create the gun-like piece of machinery that would shoot the line and connect the two ends of it.

Once completed, Rayna turned yet again, and aimed the shot right above the balcony they would be entering from. With the press of the trigger the line shot out, twisting slightly in the free air until it hit the side of the Team Rocket building. It suctioned onto the glass panels with only a small 'thud' of impact. With a satisfied grin Rayna pulled the line tight, securing her end of the line with the gun to the ground.

"Ready?" Rayna asked breathlessly as she stood, the familiar adrenaline that came from such an action(whether it be hanging 11 stories off the ground, or breaking and entering in general) already coursing through her. Futeki jumped to her shoulder, folding around her neck like a boa to hitch a ride between the buildings. Rayna pulled out the hook that would travel upon the line and take them with it, one last breath being released in trepidation. She quickly sat down at the rim of the roof, and let her legs dangle over the edge before placing the hook on the line, and pushing her body off the support.

The journey was quick, but there was just enough time to feel the rush of the wind against one's face, and feel gravity try to pull one's stomach back to the ground.

It ended all too soon however, and Rayna found herself landing upon the balcony with nary a sound to prove she was there. Letting out a shallow breath, Rayna grinned at the exertion of it all. Futeki jumped from her shoulder, and the two dare devils met each other's eyes in confirmation that yes, they had made it in one piece as always.

Shaking her head to get back to business, Rayna glanced at the glass doors that kept her from her goal. Stepping forward, she eyed the sides of the glass panels, identifying that the only security on them was a bulky lock.

Lowering herself to her knees, Rayna eyed the lock with a critical eye. The size of the lock was an obvious giveaway of some sort of trigger mechanism for security, and she let out a relieved sigh when she realized she came prepared for such an obstacle. Reaching into her pouch she pulled out a clothed wrapped square the size of her fist. She handled it delicately, not wanting it to malfunction and shock her by mistake. She unwrapped it with quick, but cautious motions, glaring at the piece of technology with wrathful eyes. It was preprogrammed for its function, so all that was required of her was to place it properly on the glass where the lock laid on the other side.

Once situated, Rayna flicked a switch, and watched as a series of lights flashed on the cover of the box. She waited anxiously as the lights blinked red at her multiple times, moments passing in unease as she started to fear a mistake was being made and her cover blown. Final after what seemed like hours the red flashing stopped, replaced by a steady light of green.

With a sigh of relief Rayna removed the box and replaced it back in her pockets, having served its purpose for shutting down any electronic system that was wired to the doors. Any security monitor within the building would register the signal as functioning, creating the illusion that the doors were un-tampered with and locked securely.

Rayna was moments away from changing that.

A third item was removed from her pouch, this one a cylinder of rolled cloth. The soft sound of metal clipping against metal filled the air around Rayna as she unfurled the item and gazed at her personal set of lock picking tools. A satisfied grin set across her face, as she pulled the first tool free, and turned to the doors.

Lock picking was a tricky art. It required an extensive history of trial and error to become proficient in, and unfortunately was a skill that needed to be constantly practiced, or else one's proficiency in the trade was likely to suffer. And with an audible grumble, Rayna very quickly found that she had allowed her craft to slip.

"I'm rusty." Rayna stated with a clenched jaw. She glowered down at the unopened lock with an inward sense of horror that she did not allow to cross her face. While she was fully aware her new life required no need of lockpicking(Ho-Oh help her if the professor ever caught her in the act), it was still a startling realization of how much she had changed. And as much as it betrayed the professor's faith in her rehabilitation, she was saddened by the fact that what once was so easy for her had become so difficult.

Shaking her head, Rayna removed the thoughts for the time being. They would not help her this night, and she had to be at her best to succeed. With renewed vigor she attacked the lock, using one tool on it after another, waiting for the 'click' that would accompany a successful breakin.

"You know Futeki," Rayna muttered idly, using only a moment to glance at her collected partner at her side. "It's times like these I wish you Eevees had a ghost evolution. It'd come in pretty handy right now."

"Umbreon!" The pokemon growled in response, the jibe an un-amusing one in its eyes. She seemed to take the comment personally, and turned her head away in a very distinct act of repulsion at such a thought. Rayna opened her mouth to sooth her pokemon's sour mood, only to be interrupted by the lock opening and the doors swinging open into the room before them. Both Rayna and Futeki immediately forgot the argument, both already starting to scan the room for potential threats.

Futeki glanced up to its trainer, watching as the green haired woman nodded once as an unspoken confirmation as to what was to happen next. With barely contained enthusiasm Futeki leaped from where it stood, easily landing on the desk in the middle of the room with barely contained enthusiasm.

Rayna herself was preparing for what her pokemon was about to do. She quickly pulled out a mask from her belt, and swiftly placed it on the lower half of her face. With a slightly muffled voice she practically whispered to her pokemon with one command.

"Toxic." The order was acted upon immediately. With a soundless cry Futeki began to pour a poisonous gas from its pores. Such an ability was originally used as a defense in the wild, and very few knew about the dark pokemon's ability to produce such a gas. Even fewer were aware that the gas could be used to illuminate infrared lights, an ability that made thieving all the easier for the pair.

The purplish mist settled to the ground, where slim red beams crisscrossed the floor in a grid like pattern. Rayna grinned to herself under her mask, and began the easy task of stepping over the now revealed lights on her way into the room

"If you could do something about the lighting Futeki." Rayna asked into the shadows of the space. A golden glow started up, and lit the formerly dark room in a soft radiance that allowed Rayna to pick her way to the desk, grinning fondly at her pokemon from beneath her mask.

Rayna slid into the leather chair easily, and switched on the computer in front of her in one cool motion. Futeki stepped around the pc, watching the screen illuminate its trainer and the room in a luminescent gleam.

Rayna glared onto the screen, the contrast of the artificial light to the shadows around her hurting her eyes and already beginning to pound into her head. It took precious moments for the computer to boot up, and open to the log in screen, which caused Rayna to sigh in annoyance. The final item of the night was removed from her pouch, and she stuck the small flash drive she brought with her into the required slot, watching impatiently for the green light to flash in confirmation of it working. Quickly after the green flash a black window popped up on the screen, one she brought her attention to and quickly stated scanning the codes that were scrolling down the screen, clicking the right keys when necessary to complete the preprogrammed hack that resided in the flash drive.

Rayna was a novice hacker at best. She had enough knowledge to function a computer to her needs, but anything beyond the basic software's were all a foreign language to her. She much preferred hard copies of files. Ones where you could just bust into a safe and steal the manila folder holding all your target's secrets were viewed as far superior in her eyes. But with the times came all the new hardships of acquiring information from fire walled computer systems. Luckily, expert hackers were very easily bought, and provided many gadgets to make a thief's job easier.

With a few clicks upon the keyboard Rayna had found her way onto the desktop screen, and a wicked grin slid across her face at the sight. Within seconds she was immersed with the computer and what it could give her. She stripped the files dry, copying anything she found relating to Team Rocket from the server and into the flash drive she had brought with her for later analysis. This process took the better part of an hour, but Futeki was attentive of the door, and any noises beyond it that could cause trouble. But luckily all was quiet, and Rayna was able to finish combing through the files she needed, and erasing any sign that anyone had been looking through them.

Rayna pulled out her flash drive only moments after turning off the computer, and stood quickly to replace the chair and everything else according to how she found it. Futeki returned to perch on her shoulders, while its trainer started for the balcony doors. The gas was only just visible now having been drifting out of the office from the open doors. By the time anyone returned to the office in the morning the harmless amount left will have dissipated into the air.

Rayna closed the door behind her, knowing that the action was causing the electrical system in the lock to re-boot to its former settings of security It would no doubt cause a short jolt through the security system, but it would be looked at as a small glitch, one that had recovered itself quickly.

The line Rayna had traveled on was still outside, standing taut between the two buildings. With a quick pull of a lever, the line reeled into itself, un-stationing the anchor on the other building and reeling it towards the still attached end near Rayna. She caught it as it soared towards her, preventing it from slamming into the glass and blowing all the secrecy she had developed thus far. With one tug, the attached end pulled from the building, and she reassembled the machine to shot a new line to escape on. Futeki purred from its place on her shoulders, ready for another slide between buildings.

For the second time that night Rayna jumped off the ledge, with not a worry for where she would find herself when she landed. She had overstayed her welcome at the Team Rocket headquarters, and now her focus was returning to the hotel, and searching through that which she had stolen. She had three hours until she was supposed to meet Lance at the _Drunken Clamperl._ Hopefully, she'd arrive there with a clue of her own as to where the professor was.

After all she never could bring herself to trust the word of a snitch, seemed like bad policy to her.

* * *

**Rambling of an Author: **Part 4 was a bizz to write, as I'm sure everyone noticed at the end. Not only do I feel it was shorter than the others(which will be remedied next part, I promise!), but that theft scene was a killer to write, seeing as I have no idea the technical terms for anything Rayna used to conduct her illegal activities. I had only ever seen them on _Mission Impossible, _and I'm afraid I don't have those in hardcopy to reference. I apologize if it threw anyone off while reading. If it makes you feel better, it absolutely tossed me off a cliff when writing it. :(

Anyways to get away from my wallowing, I hope you all liked the part as well as can be expected. I personally got quite a bit of amusement out of Rayna's morning/afternoon grumpiness. Poor Lance, he doesn't even know how much crap he's going to have to deal with on this journey with her, but I think he'll start to get a clue on how much trouble Rayna can cause in the next part. I am pretty excited about it to be honest. I adore writing arguments for some reason, almost as much as I love getting into them myself. Is that strange? Oh well, even if it is, it's too much fun for me to give up!

And I hope you enjoyed meeting Futeki, who is one of my favorite pokemon after Charizard/Hiei. She's got quite an attitude on her, and was inspired by the games for the gamecube(How old is that thing nowadays? 0.0), on which I always make my starter an Umbreon. Here's how you pronounce the name, to maybe make things a little easier.

Umbreon - Futeki (Fuu-tech-y)

Only two more pokemon left to meet, and they each are quite a handful themselves. Really, I'm not quite sure where Rayna got all these stubborn and insolent pokemon, but I'm happy she did, they are such a blast to write! Back to the topic though, I hope you all will come back to read part 5, where our two heroes will finally put together a master plan to rescue the professor, along with a few detours along the way. But don't worry, they will be amusing and as character developing as I can possibly make them, . . . not that that's saying much. :)


End file.
